Piccata Rock Cod by Louie Linguini’s Lance Koehler

Recipe By:  Lance Koehler

Seaside’s own Lance Koehler is many things: an avid fisherman, an entrepreneur, a restaurant general manager, a chef and a dog lover, to start. A single passion runs through each of those identities: deep appreciation for Monterey Bay seafood. That guides much of his work as the driving flavor force at Louie Linguini’s on Cannery Row, and helped inspire he and his wife’s popular business Pacific Pet Treats. 

That shop features all sorts of curated pet items, but its headline item is high-quality dog snacks made with the leftover cod, halibut and calamari scraps, among others. That helped inspire Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust’s spotlight on PPT last year (“Your pets can enjoy tasty local seafood now too!”).

His gift for treating fresh local rock cod in easy and mouthwatering ways, meanwhile, inspired the Trust’s decision to hit him up for one of his favorite recipes. At Linguini’s, Koehler and company pair this piccata with fresh seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes—“Because it is fantastic in the sauce,” he says—but other seasonal sides work just fine as well. 

Ingredients

6-8 oz rock cod filet

All-purpose flour

2 oz extra virgin olive oil

2 oz white cooking wine 

2 medium fresh lemons

2 oz butter

2 oz heavy cream

Garlic

Capers

Shallots

Parsley 

Fresh thyme.

Preparation

1. For the sauce, heat your sauté pan on high and add 2 oz white cooking wine and 2 oz finely diced garlic, 2 oz shallots and 1 oz fresh thyme and roast in your pan. 

2. Once the garlic and shallots begin to brown, reduce heat and add fresh squeezed lemon, 2 oz of butter and 2 oz heavy cream. Once the butter has melted, mix the ingredients and reduce heat to low. 

3. Reduce your sauce and add capers. Remove from heat and let sauce reduce and thicken while you prepare the fish.

4. Take the rock cod filet and lightly flour each side. Heat a sauté pan to high heat with 2 oz extra virgin olive oil. Cook at high heat for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until the flour reaches a golden brown.

5. Plate your fish and add your caper sauce drizzled over the top. Finish with parsley and enjoy!