Summary: Cod with prawns is one of those dishes that showcase the Mediterranean essence of Spanish cuisine: two seafood products, together in the same pot, creating something more complex and satisfying than each on its own. The cod provides a flaky texture, deep flavor, and collagen that thickens the sauce. The prawns offer sweetness, a hint of iodine, and that unmistakable scent of the sea, intensified in the sofrito.
It's a quick dish—on the table in 20-25 minutes—but not simple in flavor. The key is to work the garlic well and not overcook either of the main ingredients. At Bacalalo, we have been selecting the best seafood in Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot since 1990, and this cod and prawn combination is one of our favorites to recommend when someone wants an elegant and quick fish dish.
Contents
- Why Cod with Prawns Works
- Ingredients for Cod with Prawns (4 servings)
- Version 1: Cod with Garlic Prawns (20 minutes)
- Version 2: Cod with Prawns in Green Sauce
- Tips for Perfect Cod with Prawns
- What to Serve with Cod with Prawns
- Quality Prawns: What to Look For
- Why Bacalalo's Desalted Cod is Ideal for This Recipe
Why Cod with Prawns Works
From a gastronomic perspective, the cod-prawn combination makes sense for several reasons:
Contrast of textures: The firm flakes of cod contrast with the tender, juicy texture of the prawns. They don't compete—they complement each other in every bite.
Exchange of flavors: When cooked in the sofrito, prawns release their juices and beautifully flavor the oil. The cod absorbs that enriched marine base. The result: a dish with a depth of flavor that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Cod collagen: Desalted cod releases collagen during cooking, which naturally thickens the sauce, giving it that characteristic silky texture that you won't achieve with any other fish.
Balanced saltiness: Cod has residual salt from the desalinating process. Prawns are naturally sweet. Together, they balance each other without the need to add much extra salt.
Ingredients for Cod with Prawns (4 servings)
For the dish:- 700 g desalted cod fillets
- 400 g fresh or frozen prawns (peeled and unpeeled, depending on version)
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 1 dried chili pepper (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Plenty of fresh parsley
Additional ingredients depending on the version:
Garlic version:- 200 ml dry white wine or txakoli
- 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika (optional)
- 200 ml white wine
- 200 ml fish stock
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (more abundant than in the garlic version)
- Juice of half a lemon
Version 1: Cod with Garlic Prawns (20 minutes)
This is the quickest and most straightforward version. It works best with peeled prawns, though if you have shell-on prawns, you can use them to make the stock and then peel them before serving.
Preparation
If the prawns are frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator the night before. Never in hot water—they lose texture. Peel them and reserve the shells. For more flavor, fry the shells in a little oil for 2 minutes, add the white wine, strain, and use this liquid in the sauce.
Pat the cod dry with kitchen paper and cut into 5-6 cm pieces.
Cooking
Heat a generous amount of EVOO in a wide pot or large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the thinly sliced garlic and the chili pepper broken in half. Cook over very low heat—the garlic should slowly turn pale without browning. If the garlic burns, the dish will taste bitter. About 3-4 minutes over low heat is enough.
Remove the chili if you don't want it spicier. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the peeled prawns. Sauté for 1 minute per side—no more. Prawns cook in seconds; if you overcook them, they will become rubbery. Remove the prawns and set aside.
In the same oil, place the cod pieces skin-side up. Cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate for 2 minutes over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low. Gently shake the pot in a circular motion—never use a spoon. The back-and-forth movement helps the cod's collagen bind with the oil and wine, forming a silky and shiny sauce. This process takes 3-4 minutes.
Return the prawns to the pot during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Sprinkle generously with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
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Version 2: Cod with Prawns in Green Sauce
Green sauce is a Basque classic—parsley, garlic, white wine, and fish stock thickened with flour or the cod's own collagen. It's more elaborate than the garlic version but just as quick.
The basic green sauce
In a pot, sauté finely chopped garlic (not sliced) in EVOO over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes. When they begin to turn pale, add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring—this lightly toasts the flour and prevents a raw taste.
Gradually add the white wine, stirring, then the hot fish stock. The sauce should be light, not thick—like a thin velouté. Incorporate the very finely chopped parsley (the amount should be generous, not just a garnish) and lemon juice. Cook the sauce over low heat for 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste.
Cooking the cod in green sauce
Place the cod pieces directly into the green sauce, without searing them first. Cook over low heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes. The green sauce should maintain a gentle simmer—not a strong boil.
Halfway through cooking (4-5 minutes), add the peeled prawns. The prawns will finish cooking with the residual heat during the last 3-4 minutes.
Regularly shake the pot with a back-and-forth motion to allow the cod's collagen to further thicken the sauce. The final green sauce should be silky, shiny, and vibrant green (if it's brown, the parsley has burned or overcooked).
Tips for Perfect Cod with Prawns
Prawns go in last. The most common mistake is adding prawns too early. Prawns cook in 2-3 minutes. If they go in with the cod from the beginning, they will be rubbery and tasteless when the cod is ready. Always add them in the last 2-3 minutes.
Garlic should never burn. Burnt garlic contaminates all the oil with bitterness. If you see the garlic starting to brown too quickly, remove the pot from the heat, let it cool for 30 seconds, then return it to the lowest heat.
Pat the cod dry thoroughly. Moisture on the surface of the cod prevents it from searing properly and causes it to release excess water into the pot, diluting the sauce.
The back-and-forth motion is the secret. Especially in the garlic version, the sauce's texture depends on the circular movements of the pot that emulsify the oil with the cod's collagen. Do not stir it with a spoon.
Homemade prawn stock. If you have 5 extra minutes, fry the prawn shells and heads in oil for 2 minutes, add white wine, strain, and use that liquid in the sauce. The result has a depth of flavor difficult to match with store-bought stock.
Parsley at the end. In the garlic version, parsley is added just before serving. In the green sauce, it goes in during cooking, but most is added at the end to maintain its vibrant color.
What to Serve with Cod with Prawns
White rice: Perfectly absorbs the garlic sauce or green sauce. In many Basque restaurants, cod with prawns in green sauce is served directly over rice.
Crusty bread: For dipping. The garlic sauce with its fragrant oil begs to be soaked up with good bread.
Grilled vegetables: Asparagus, peppers, or grilled zucchini, without much seasoning, so as not to compete with the dish's flavor.
Canned or steamed potatoes: More substantial. Potatoes cooked in green sauce Basque style (adding them at the same time as the cod) are a classic dish in themselves.
White wine: Basque txakoli is the classic option for green sauce. For the garlic version, an Albariño or a Verdejo are perfect. The acidity of white wine cuts through the richness of the garlic oil.
Quality Prawns: What to Look For
Prawns are a protagonist in this dish, not a secondary accompaniment. Quality matters:
Fresh prawns: The best option when available. Fresh prawns have a firm texture and a sweet flavor that frozen ones cannot match. In markets like Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot, fresh Mediterranean or Atlantic prawns are available most of the year.
Quality frozen prawns: If you don't have access to fresh prawns, quality frozen prawns (IQF, individually quick frozen) are a reasonable alternative. Thaw them in the refrigerator, never under hot water.
Raw vs. cooked prawns: For this recipe, always use raw prawns. Pre-cooked prawns will overcook and become rubbery. If you only have cooked prawns, add them in the last minute—just to warm them through.
Size: Medium-sized prawns (16-20 pieces per kilo) are the most versatile for cooking. Very small ones get lost in the dish; very large ones can remain raw inside if not given enough time.
Why Bacalalo's Desalted Cod is Ideal for This Recipe
In a dish with few ingredients like cod with garlic prawns, the quality of the cod determines 60% of the outcome. Inferior quality cod has too much water, falls apart at the first contact with hot oil, and releases so much water that it turns the sauce into a watery broth.
Good desalted cod—correctly selected, from North Atlantic Gadus morhua—maintains its flakes during cooking, releases collagen instead of water, and has the right amount of salt, so you don't need to add more.
At Bacalalo, we have been selecting cod and seafood preserves at Mercat del Ninot for over 30 years. See our selection of desalted cod — ready to cook, without the at-home desalting process.
🛒 Products mentioned in this article
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cod with Prawns
Is it better to use peeled or unpeeled prawns for this dish?
It depends on the version. For the garlic version, peeled prawns are more comfortable to eat and integrate better into the sauce. For a more visually appealing presentation, you can use unpeeled prawns—the appearance is more impressive, although it's less convenient to eat. The ideal is to use prawns with head and shell to make the stock, peel them, and use them peeled in the final dish.
Can I use langostinos instead of prawns?
Yes, perfectly. Langostinos are larger and sweeter than prawns, and they work just as well. Adjust the cooking time—large langostinos need 2-3 minutes per side instead of 1-2. They work especially well in the green sauce version.
Does cod with prawns include tomato?
The traditional garlic version does not include tomato. There are more "market" variants that add a tomato and red pepper sofrito, creating a version closer to seafood zarzuela. It's different but equally tasty. In this article, we focus on the purest versions (garlic and green sauce) that highlight the flavor of cod and prawns.
How long does it take to prepare?
The garlic version: 20-25 minutes. The green sauce version: 30-35 minutes. It's one of the quickest dishes with desalted cod, which makes it ideal for weekdays.
Can it be made with frozen cod?
Yes. Thaw the cod in the refrigerator 24 hours beforehand. Keep in mind that frozen cod tends to release more water during cooking—dry it very well with kitchen paper before using.
Can the green sauce be too thick?
If the green sauce is too thick, add a little hot fish stock and stir the pan to integrate. If it's too thin, give it more time over low heat to reduce, or add a teaspoon of flour dissolved in a little cold water.
Can I use sunflower oil instead of olive oil?
It is not recommended. Extra virgin olive oil plays a fundamental role in the flavor of the dish—it is not just the cooking medium, it is part of the final sauce. With sunflower oil, the sauce will be flatter and less flavorful. If cost is a concern, use a lower quality olive oil (virgin, not extra virgin) but not sunflower.
Is cod with prawns suitable for children?
Yes, especially the version without chili. Cod with prawns in a non-spicy green sauce is mild, tasty, and nutritious. For young children, make sure there are no bones in the cod and slightly blend the green sauce for a more uniform texture.
Can it be made without alcohol?
Yes. Replace white wine with fish stock or with lemon juice diluted with water (in a 1:3 ratio). Wine adds acidity and complexity that can be partially compensated with lemon.
How many calories does cod with prawns have?
Approximately 280-350 kcal per serving (garlic version). Cod and prawns are very low in fat—the caloric intake comes mainly from olive oil. It is a high-protein dish and relatively light for a fish dish with sofrito.
