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I'm laughing. I've been looking at codfish recipes for about five minutes now and I can make heads nor tails from it.

Some recipes claim you should cook for 5 minutes, other for one hour... Most agree on 15 minutes. Some give thickness in inches as a measure for determining the time. Others say you have to look for the flakes.

Oven temperatures range from 160ºC to 205ºC (320F - 400F)...

Others say poach...

What's the real story here? Anybody expert in Cod out there?

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I poach cod steaks in flavoured milk for 4 min per side. The real story, if it says cook for more than 10 min, is that the recipe author wants the fish to absorb the flavours of whatever it is being cooked with. – James Barrie Jun 13 '11 at 21:51

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Cooking time will vary greatly depending not only on the cut of fish but also the cooking method. In general, your cod will be done when it reaches an internal temperature of 54°C (130°F), regardless of cooking method. Here are some times/temperatures that work for me:

  • Sous Vide: 10 minutes or more at 56°C, followed by a quick broiling/grilling/blow torch.
  • Baking (thick fillets): 15–20 minutes at 218°C (425°F).
  • Baking en papillote: 15 minutes at 232°C (450°F).
  • Deep Frying: 7–8 minutes at 190°C (375°F).
  • Steaming: 6 minutes.
  • Poaching: I like to add the fish to the cooking liquid while the liquid is room temperature. I bring it to a simmer, and then turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes.
  • Pan Frying: This isn't quite as popular a method as the above for cooking cod, however, if you want to do it, I would recommend cooking it on high heat, flipping once the opaqueness has reached about halfway up the side of the fillet.

Basically, it doesn't matter which method you use as long as your cod ends up with an even internal temperature of around 54°C (130°F).

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Don't forget deep frying! – ElendilTheTall Jun 13 '11 at 20:27
I already listed deep frying as just "frying" (#4). I'll edit it. Thanks! – ESultanik Jun 13 '11 at 20:29
@ESultanik Is there a temperature guide for other fish species, or is 54°C it? – TFD Jun 13 '11 at 21:05
@TFD: The way I like to cook my fish, the only general exceptions to this rule are fish that I like a bit rarer (e.g., salmon, which I only cook to 52°C, or tuna, which I like pretty much raw in the center), or fish that are better suited to be well done (e.g., oily fish like sardines and mackerel, which are very forgiving to cooking temperature given their fattiness). – ESultanik Jun 13 '11 at 21:22
Very good answer. I'll give these methods a try. Any comments on my other questions cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/7375/… and cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/7812/… – BaffledCook Jun 13 '11 at 22:30
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