Believe it or not this butter baked cod really does taste like lobster!
Even if you are not a fan of fish, give this easy recipe a try and I promise you will think you are eating a fancy broiled lobster tail instead of an affordable -and kid friendly- filet of fish!
Poor Man's Lobster
Ingredients
- 4 boneless cod filets 5-8oz
- 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt
- 6 tbsp butter divided
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler.
- In a bowl mix together water, sugar, and salt then add to a large skillet.
- Place fish filets in the skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Boil for 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod fillet.
- Remove fish from water and place on lined pan.
- Brush with melted butter and season with paprika.
- Broil for about 7 minutes on low until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Brush with more butter and juice from 1/2 lemon and serve.
In a bowl mix together water, sugar, and salt then add to a large skillet.
Place fish filets in the skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove fish from water and place on lined pan.
Brush with melted butter and season with paprika.
Broil for about 7 minutes on low until fish flakes easily with a fork.
How delicious does this look?!
Brush with more butter and juice from 1/2 lemon.
Serve with rice and veggies and enjoy!
I am still amazed by this dish! No fishy taste at all and has the taste and texture of lobster!
Why all the sugar?
Hi, I add the sugar, salt, and water to simmer the fish and make it extra tender and flaky like lobster. Hope you give it a try!
Why so much sugar
As always adjust to your liking, but I think the sugar, water, and salt make this fish recipe delicious and tender.
Do you think this would work with Mahi Mahi-mahi? I have some frozen I need a good recipe for but this sounds amazing
I would think it would work great with any other mild, white meat fish. Let me know how you like it!
TRIED IT WITH REDUCED SUGAR AND WATER.. IT WAS AMAZING!!!! I TOLD MY WIFE IT WAS LOBSTER.
Amazing 🤣 I wouldn’t know the difference as I’ve never had lobster 🤣
Would this work with a sugar substitute, such as xylitol or stevia?
I have never tried that but it should work!
Bless the man for his service, hope he’s well
Thank You for the recipe for lobster substitute, trying soon
Mom has been known to eat 4# in one sitting
Her dad was a fisherman and she would take lobster to school for lunch
Again, Blessing to both of you
Terry
I have never tasted lobster so I don’t know what I am missing. I love shrimp, fish and even crab. I must try this. I would hate to order lobster at a restaurant or buy to cook at home and not like it.
Try it! You will like it! You may end up craving it. I know people who hate fish but go ga-ga over lobster.
I love lobster. My sister always says it “tastes pink” which I think made it taste even better to me when I was younger. This recipe turned out amazing! I did reduce the sugar and salt by 1/3 and it was still delicious. I totally understand the need for the sugar though. Lobster has a natural sweetness to it that cod does not. If you remove the sugar altogether then you’d just have boiled cod. I will be making this again and again.
If this tastes like lobster, I’m all in! I haven’t baked cod for a while but I imagine it is still one of the less costly fish
I know Stevia or Swerve is more costly, but better than using huge amounts of white death.
What temp is considered ‘low” for broiling?
Most broilers have a low and high setting. There is no temp listed when you turn the broiler on in the oven. If yours needs an actual temp I would say between 400-450.
Putting my 2 cents in…..lobster has a sweet taste to it. I would imagine that’s why all the sugar. Making it tonight for the first time. Can’t wait!! Lobster is my absolute favorite food 🥘
My thought too.
Lobster is one of my favorite foods, but I rarely prepare it because of the price. When I came across this recipe, I was skeptical that cod could taste like lobster, but it really does!! Lobster has a natural sweetness to it, so it makes complete sense that this recipe has a fair amount of sugar in it. For those concerned about this, remember that not all of that sugar is being absorbed into the cod, it’s just basically brining in it.
I am so excited that I can now have one of my favorite foods anytime I want! And my husband who doesn’t like fish, even requests this! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Does the fish need to be frozen so it doesn’t fall apart
No, the thawed thick filets usually hold up well but will be tender and flake easily once broiled. Enjoy!
Will striper or bass work as well? They are fresh water.
Hi there. I believe they cook and taste different than cod. This recipe works best with cod since the texture and flavor mimic lobster.
I really like this recipe… I’ve made it twice now and it’s delicious!!
Made the poor man’s lobster really easy to make and no smell of fish (wonderful)
I don’t have a broiler
Can you bake it
Hi, If you have an oven it should have a broiler option. But if not then you can bake it at the highest temp.
Had some Wild Caught Alaska Cod that I wanted to fix for this Father’s Day weekend ! This went together quick and easy & the “Lobster” was perfectly cooked! Tomorrow we will be eating some “Lobster Rolls” out by the Grill !
just made this recipe with the fresh cod that I just caught .
This recipe was quick and amazing taste.
Thank you.
sounds delish
What about the scallops with the cod? How are they cooked?
I pat dry, season, and saute in a hot pan with oil until just cooked. They cook fast like shrimp so they only need a couple minutes. You can also check out this recipe: https://www.4theloveoffoodblog.com/teriyaki-bacon-wrapped-scallops/ .