Ingredients
Fish & poaching liquid
- 4 (6-oz) cod fillets
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 limes, zested and juiced (3 tablespoons juice, divided)
- 1 red Fresno chili, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced (from a 2" piece)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass, thinly sliced (from 1 trimmed stalk)
- 2 (13.5-oz) cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 8 oz baby bok choy, ends trimmed, stalks separated
To serve
- Fried ginger
- Pickled chilies
- Lime wedges
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro, leaves and tender stems, chopped
Instructions
Season the fish
Pat both sides of fish dry on a clean cutting board. Sprinkle with salt on both sides.
Pickle the chilies
Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice and the sliced chilies in a small bowl. Set aside until serving.
Make the fried ginger topping
Set a paper-towel-lined plate aside. In a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and sauté the ginger 30 seconds to 1 minute until golden brown — err on the side of caution, as it will keep darkening from residual heat. Immediately remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; scatter the strained ginger onto the paper towel. Reserve the ginger oil.
Sauté the aromatics
Wipe the pan clean of browned bits. Add the reserved ginger oil back to the pan over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic and lemongrass until aromatic and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Simmer the poaching liquid
Stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer at a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with more fish sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice as needed.
Poach the bok choy
Reduce heat to low and stir in the bok choy. Cook until wilted but still slightly crunchy, 1–2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide among four bowls.
Poach the fish
Carefully add the fish to the pan and cook, covered, on low heat, 6–9 minutes, until opaque and flaking (internal temperature 140–145°F). Thinner pieces cook faster — keep the liquid at a bare simmer. Remove with a slotted spoon and divide among the bowls.
Reduce the sauce
Simmer the coconut milk an additional 3–5 minutes on medium heat until thickened — it should coat the back of a spoon like a thick curry. Season with more fish sauce, brown sugar, or lime juice as needed. Spoon over the fish and bok choy; top with fried ginger, pickled chilies, cilantro, and lime wedges.