This is a dish we grew up eating at our grandmother’s house in Denmark on our summer vacations. Personally, I didn’t warm up to the idea of parsley sauce until later in life, but my siblings were always on board. Now, I love it! The dish is actually very simple, just fried fish, potatoes, and parsley sauce. The flavors meld together really well, and it’s both hearty and light at the same time. The parsley sauce itself goes perfectly with other meats as well, like pork, so it’s a good sauce to have up your sleeve for any dinner!
As mentioned above, this is as simple as a dinner recipe gets. Start by dredging your fish in some flour then pan-frying it until the crust is golden and the fish is fully cooked. While your fish is cooking, start on the parsley sauce. A basic roux, milk, parsley, and spices are all you need for the most delicious and thick sauce. Serve the sauce and fish with whatever side dishes you like (we would recommend boiled or roasted potatoes) and enjoy! Let us know below if you try our recipe!
Fisk Med Persillesovs (Pan Fried Fish with Parsley Sauce)
Ingredients
FISH
- 453 grams (1 lb) cod, cut into even pieces (if using frozen fish, thaw in the refrigerator ahead of time!)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) flour
- Vegetable oil for cooking
PARSLEY SAUCE
- 28 grams (2 tbsp) butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) whole milk
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley (about half a large bunch)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- Salt the fish on a plate and let sit for about 10 minutes.
- On a second plate or a shallow bowl, mix together flour, salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that the fish is already salted, so you won’t need much to flavor the coating!
- Coat the fish in the flour mixture and let it sit on the plate for about 5 minutes.
- Preheat a pan over medium heat (we like to use a cast iron pan). Add vegetable oil and once it is hot enough to start sizzling, add each piece of fish to the pan, dusting off any excess flour before adding it.
- Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until the fish is opaque in the center and a golden crust has formed.
- While the fish is cooking, make your parsley sauce by melting butter in a pan and whisking in flour to create a roux.
- Let the flour and butter cook for about a minute (take care not to burn it!).
- Add the milk a little bit at a time, whisking constantly to create a smooth sauce.
- Make sure the sauce comes up to a boil so the flour has a chance to fully thicken the sauce. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional).
- Chop up parsley and add to the sauce, letting it cook for about a minute. Check for seasoning.
- Serve fish and sauce with your favorite side (we like to serve it with roasted potatoes!). You can also use this sauce with other meats, such as roast pork or beef.
