Cod Loin with Horseradish and Browned Butter

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Cod, butter, fresh horseradish and green beans — four honest ingredients with no breading, flour or sugar. The fish is pan-fried in butter and finished with a nutty browned-butter sauce, delivering plenty of fat and protein for a simple 25-minute dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (650 g) boneless cod fillets
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 3 oz (85 g) fresh horseradish root, peeled and finely grated
• 5 oz (140 g) butter, divided
• 1 lb (450 g) fresh green beans, trimmed
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 oz (28 g) celery root, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Salt the fish: Sprinkle the cod with 1 teaspoon of salt. If you have time, refrigerate for about an hour; if not, you can cook it right away. Peel and grate the horseradish in the meantime.

2. Fry the cod: Pat the fish dry. Melt one-third of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the cod for 3–4 minutes per side, spooning butter over the top now and then to keep it moist.

3. Finish the fish: Lower the heat toward the end, season with pepper and remove the cod once it is just cooked through and flakes easily.

4. Brown the butter: Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling until it smells nutty and turns light golden brown.

5. Cook the beans: Boil the green beans in generously salted water for a few minutes until crisp-tender, then drain.

6. Serve: Place the fish on a bed of green beans, drizzle with the browned butter and top with plenty of grated horseradish. Garnish with celery root fried golden in butter, if using.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Salting the fish ahead firms the flesh and seasons it all the way through.
• Watch the butter closely — it goes from golden to burnt in seconds. Pull it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty.
• Prepared horseradish is a fine shortcut, but fresh root has far more bite.