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Fish, European

Polish-style fish with steamed potatoes

Polish-style fish is a dish of poached cod topped with butter, golden breadcrumbs, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and dill, served with steamed potatoes. It feeds 4, takes 35 minutes, stays easy to make, and costs about €4 per person. The trick is browning the breadcrumbs in butter until they turn hazelnut colored, without burning.

Tonight, Polish-style fish, a real classic, simple and nappy, topped with foamy butter, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and golden breadcrumbs.

Polish-style fish with steamed potatoes
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.00
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall

Polish-style fish takes plain poached cod and gives it something to talk about. The foamy butter loaded with golden breadcrumbs, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and dill brings the crunch and flavor that steamed fish usually lacks on its own. New potatoes, cooked skin on, soak up that buttery sauce without losing their own freshness.

This is the kind of weeknight dinner you make when you want fish without any fuss, or a spring lunch with family when fresh dill is easy to find. It stays simple to put together, no complicated sauce involved, but it still has that classic feel that appeals to adults and curious older kids alike.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod fillets 4

Dairy

  • Eggs 3
  • Butter 80 g

Pantry

  • Breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Coarse saltoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Dill 1 bunch
  • Parsley 3 sprigs
  • Lemon 1
  • New potatoes 900 g

Allergens Fish, Lactose, Eggs, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Boil the eggs for ten minutes, cool them under cold water, peel them, and chop them coarsely. 10 min

    Chop the eggs with a knife rather than a fork, the pieces stay cleaner.

  2. Steam the potatoes, or boil them in salted water. 20 min

    New potatoes cook well with their skin on, it's thin and tasty.

  3. Bring water to a simmer with coarse salt and a splash of lemon, add the cod fillets, and let them poach over very low heat. 8 min

    Take the pan off the heat as soon as it starts to simmer, the fish finishes cooking in the hot water.

  4. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the breadcrumbs, and let them brown while stirring, then add the chopped eggs, dill, and parsley. 5 min

    Watch the breadcrumbs closely, they go from golden to burnt fast.

  5. Drain the fish, plate it with the potatoes, and spoon the Polish-style butter over the top.

    A squeeze of lemon on the fish wakes up the butter.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick cod fillets of even thickness so they all poach at the same rate, with no piece overcooked or raw in the middle.
  • Make the Polish-style butter right before serving, it loses its crunch if it sits too long in the skillet.
  • Taste the butter before spooning it over the fish, that's your moment to adjust the salt and lemon to your liking.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for hake or pollock, two white fish that poach just as well.
  • For a vegetarian version, spoon the Polish-style butter over steamed asparagus or cauliflower instead of fish.
  • To save time, cook the potatoes and eggs the day before, then all you have left to do is poach the fish and make the butter.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lots of lemon
  • A crisp dry white wine
  • Steamed spinach with a little butter

Storage

Poached fish keeps for a day in the fridge in a sealed container, though it loses some texture. Reheat the Polish-style butter gently in a skillet, without letting it boil. Freezing isn't recommended, both the poached fish and the breadcrumbs turn mushy once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different fish instead of cod?

Yes, hake, pollock, or haddock all work well, as long as the fish is white and firm. The poaching time stays the same, around 8 minutes over very low heat.

How do you keep the breadcrumbs from burning in the butter?

Watch the skillet the whole time and take it off the heat as soon as the breadcrumbs turn hazelnut colored. They keep browning slightly off the heat thanks to the warm butter.

Can you make the eggs and potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook them the day before and keep them in the fridge. Just reheat the potatoes with a quick steam and chop the eggs right before plating.

How do you know the fish is poached without drying it out?

Take the pan off the heat as soon as the water starts to simmer, the fish finishes cooking gently in the hot water. The flesh should turn opaque and flake easily with a fork.

How long does it take to make a Polish-style fish, topped with egg and dill butter, with steamed potatoes?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Polish-style fish, topped with egg and dill butter, with steamed potatoes?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Polish-style fish, topped with egg and dill butter, with steamed potatoes cost?

About €4.00 per serving, or €16.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, lactose, eggs, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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