Cod Delight — The Birthday Fish Fry Kai Chose

December again. The second COVID winter. By this point the pandemic had been part of the texture of daily life long enough that I'd stopped thinking of it as a temporary interruption and started understanding it as the era we were in, the particular shape of these years. That shift was necessary and also a little sad. The version of things we'd been waiting to get back to was receding.

Kai turned eight in December—his birthday is on the fourteenth, which puts it close enough to Christmas that you have to be careful it doesn't get absorbed into the holiday. We've always been deliberate about keeping it separate. His own day, his own cake, his own choice of dinner. This year he asked for catfish and hush puppies and banana pudding, which I thought was an excellent birthday order. We made the whole thing together in the afternoon, him in his apron with flour on his forearms, dead serious about the hush puppy batter.

He blew out his candles and I watched him think about his wish—that particular concentration of a child who believes wishes work if you do them right. He wouldn't tell me what he'd wished for. I told him good choice, keep it private and it has a better chance. He nodded like this was technical advice from an expert.

Christmas was quiet and warm. The tree was up early this year—Hannah had put it up in November, which she said was self-care and I didn't argue with. Lily and Ben couldn't make it from Fayetteville because of case counts in both counties, so we called them and opened gifts over video. It wasn't the same but it was something. We made it through the holiday season together, which at this point in the year 2020 felt like an accomplishment worth marking.

Kai picked the menu himself that year, and there’s something I love about a kid who knows exactly what he wants for his birthday dinner — no hesitation, no second-guessing, just fish and hush puppies and pudding. This cod recipe is the one I reach for when I want that same feeling: honest, unfussy, and warm enough to make the whole kitchen feel like something is being celebrated. It’s the kind of dish that earns its place at a table where the candles still matter.

Cod Delight

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cod fillets (about 6 oz each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
2. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Prep the fish. Pat cod fillets dry with paper towels and arrange in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
4. Coat the fillets. Spoon the butter-garlic mixture evenly over each fillet, making sure the tops are well coated.
5. Bake. Bake uncovered for 18–20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the edges are just starting to turn golden.
6. Finish and serve. Sprinkle fresh parsley over the top and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 240 | Protein: 32g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 380mg