Sous Vide Black Cod with Bacon and Sweet Corn

Tender sous vide black cod with crisp bacon and plump corn kernels makes a delightful low-carb dinner that’s nutritious and satisfying.

Growing up, whenever my mother served cod, it was usually a special occasion. Maybe I got good grades, or she received a bonus from work. The cod was always steamed. That’s how the Chinese normally cook their fish. Ever since I started sous vide cooking, I rarely steam fish. I find that there are a lot of things I can do to fish if I let them swim in a sous vide water bath. No babysitting, no stress. 

This sous vide black cod dish is inspired by a stovetop one-pan fish recipe that I came across in the New York Times. The fish is coated in a bright green herbal marinade and topped with crisp bacon and plump sweet corn. This is one of those recipes that you know will work out great when you first read it. I’m so glad that I was able to use the sous vide method to make it and share it with you. 

But…

Why Sous Vide Black Cod if You Can Make It in One Pan?

Very good question. Cooking sous vide doesn’t mean we should eliminate all other traditional cooking methods. I am not saying it’s the only way to cook perfect cod. All I am doing is giving you an option. You can decide whether or not you want to make it in the sous vide or on the stovetop based on your situation and schedule at different times. There are a few reasons that I set up the sous vide for this dish.

• I tend to use less oil and fat in my cooking. I was able to cut half of the oil from the original recipe using the sous vide method. 
• I wanted to cook some miso sea bass at the same time for meal prep.
• I didn’t want to think about the fish while it’s cooking—I know for a fact that sous vide will take real good care of it. Peace of mind is essential to reducing stress in the kitchen.

If this resonates with you, here are the nuts and bolts of sous vide black cod.

Sous Vide Fish Temperature and Time 

Different types of fish are best at different temperatures, but you can sous vide some fish using the same temperature and time settings.

Please note that although sous vide is known for never overcooking anything, that is not the case when it comes to sous vide fish. You CAN overcook fish in the sous vide if you leave it in the water bath for too long. I would recommend following the temperature and time chart below to sous vide fish. 

Doneness	Temperature	Time
Tender and translucent	110°F / 43°C	1/2″ (13mm) thick: 15 minutes  1″ (25mm) thick: 35 minutes 1.5″ (38mm) thick: 1 hour 25 minutes
Tender and flaky	125°F / 52°C
Traditional well-done	131°F / 55°C

For extremely delicate fish like cod and salmon, I found that 125°F / 52°C for 30 to 40 minutes is the sweet spot for 1-inch thick fillets. The fish turns out to be tender and flaky, just the way I like it. 

A word of caution: Sous vide fish cooked under 130°F / 54.4°C is not pasteurized. Therefore, for pregnant women, babies, and anyone who has a weak immune system, I would recommend choosing only fish that you’d be comfortable eating raw to sous vide and cooking it at 131°F / 55°C. 

What You’ll Need

Essential Ingredients

• Wild-caught black cod fillets: Any other good white fish like halibut, snapper, and haddock will work just as well for this recipe. See the health and wellness section below for the best types of white fish to add to your diet.
• Ingredients for the fish marinade: fresh parsley, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and extra-virgin olive oil to bind the flavors all together. 
• The topping is made with bacon, shallots, and fresh corn kernels. You can use frozen corn if fresh corn isn’t available. A pinch of salt and more fresh parsley leaves toward the end are all you need. 

Essential Equipment 

• A sous vide machine: I used the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker 2.0 to sous vide the black cod. 
• A sous vide container or a large pot: My go-to cooking vessel is this 16L sous vide container sold in a set with the Anova precision cooker. For fish fillets, a decent-size soup pot can do.
• Vacuum-sealer bags: I precut two sous vide bags out of these vacuum sealer rolls for four servings of black cod, two servings each. Since pieces of fish tend to stick together while cooking, vacuum sealing can help keep the fillets apart. Want to know what types of bags you should use for sous vide? Read my in-depth guide: Sous Vide Bags 101 here.
• A vacuum sealer: To use vacuum-sealer rolls, you’ll need a vacuum sealer. 
• A cast-iron skillet or a heavy-duty pan: I used this nonstick frying pan to cook the bacon and sweet corn topping. 

How to Make Sous Vide Black Cod with Bacon and Sweet Corn

1. Preheat water to your desired temperature using an immersion circulator. 
2. Make the marinade for the black cod. 
3. Season the black cod with salt and coat it well with the marinade. 
4. Vacuum seal the fish and sous vide cook for 35 minutes. 
5. Prepare and cook the bacon and sweet corn topping on the stove while the fish is cooking.
6. Transfer the fish to a serving plate and spoon the topping over it. Serve with lemon wedges. 

Why You Should Add White Fish to Your Diet

Last but not least, I’d like to share some health and wellness tips to help support one area of your overall health: diet. 

White fish generally refers to any white-fleshed fish with a mild flavor. Other types of fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna, are classified as oily fish. While they are richer in flavor and offer an amazing amount of omega-3 fatty acids, they generally have a higher fat content. Therefore, if weight loss is something of a concern, consider eating only one serving of fatty fish and two or more servings of white fish every week. 

Some of the best examples of white fish include cod, snapper, flounder, haddock, halibut, and grouper. These types of fish are rich in protein and important micronutrients, like selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and magnesium. They also supply antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation.

One thing to note when choosing your seafood is to opt for wild-caught fish whenever possible. Farmed fish tend to be lower in important nutrients and may contain higher levels of toxins and contaminants. 

Now, knowing the benefits of adding white fish to your diet, try this sous vide black cod with bacon and sweet corn recipe or with other types of white fish mentioned above. Share your thoughts on this delicious and healthy meal in the comments below. Cheers!

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