A slow cooker and a fillet of cod are not natural partners. This recipe solves that by treating them as two separate jobs: three hours to build a golden coconut curry with tender carrots, then twenty-five to thirty-five minutes to poach the fish gently in it.
The fish goes in as large chunks, nestled rather than stirred. By the time it flakes at 145 degrees Fahrenheit it has taken on the curry without breaking apart in it.
Why This Recipe Works
- Full-fat coconut milk holds together across three hours where a light one would separate.
- Cooking the carrots first means the fish is not waiting on them, which is what would overcook it.
- Yellow curry powder and turmeric together give the golden colour the dish is built around.
- Fish sauce brings salt and depth in a single tablespoon without adding volume to the sauce.
Ingredient Notes
- Cod or firm white fish
- A pound and a half in large chunks. Firm is the operative word — a delicate fish will not hold its shape.
- Full-fat coconut milk
- One 13.5-ounce can. Light coconut milk splits over a long cook and gives a thinner, paler sauce.
- Carrots
- Two large, in chunks. They need the full three hours, which is exactly why the fish goes in afterwards.
How to Make It
Build the curry base
Add the coconut milk, broth, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, fish sauce and salt to the slow cooker.
Cook the base
Cover and cook on Low for about 3 hours, until the carrots are nearly tender.
Nestle the fish in
Nestle the fish chunks into the golden coconut curry, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes more, just until the fish reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit and flakes easily.
Finish
Finish with cilantro and serve immediately.
The Fish Window
Everything in this recipe is arranged around a single short window at the end, when the fish is in the pot and has to come out at the right moment.
- Three hours the fish is not inCoconut milk, broth, carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, fish sauce and salt cook on LOW until the carrots are nearly tender. Nothing here is delicate.
- Large chunks, nestledThe cod goes in as large pieces pressed down into the curry rather than stirred through it, so it poaches evenly and stays whole.
Check before you continue
145F — Instant-read thermometer, into the thickest chunk
Twenty-five to thirty-five minutes after the fish goes in. At 145F it flakes easily under a fork. This is the point the cooker comes off - fish held longer goes from flaking to falling apart.
- Finish and serveChopped cilantro over the top and straight to the table. There is no resting step and no holding on Warm.
Success Tips
- Cut the fish into large chunks rather than small ones. Small pieces overcook before you can check them.
- Nestle rather than stir. Stirring the fish in will break it up.
- Serve it as soon as it flakes. This is not a dish that improves on the Warm setting.
Serving Ideas
Four servings, golden and coconut-based, with the carrot chunks visible and plenty of chopped cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the fish go in at the start?
No. It would be far past done after three hours. It goes in for the final 25 to 35 minutes only.
Can I use light coconut milk?
The recipe calls for full-fat, which is what keeps the sauce golden and holds together over the cook.
How do I know the fish is done?
145 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer, and it should flake easily.
