Cod Poached in Saffron Broth with Leeks

Name: Cod Poached in Saffron Broth with Leeks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 24 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 cod fillets (5 oz each); 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/4 tsp saffron threads, crumbled; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 2 cups vegetable broth; 1 wide strip orange zest, removed with a peeler; 3/4 tsp salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

From the Chef Paulo kitchen · Updated September 4, 2026 How we develop recipes

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 14 min
Total: 24 min
Serves: 4
Per serving: 270 cal

This is the one to cook when someone is coming over on a weeknight. Cod poached in a saffron broth with softened leeks underneath, a wide strip of orange zest perfuming the pot, and dill over the top. It looks like an afternoon of work and takes 24 minutes.

Hold the liquid at a bare simmer once the fish goes in, never a boil. Cod is delicate, and a moving pot will break the fillets apart into the broth before they get anywhere near 145°F. You want the surface barely shifting for about eight minutes, and each fillet lifted out whole.

Wash the leeks properly first. Swish the slices in a bowl of cold water and lift them out, leaving the grit at the bottom, rather than tipping the lot into a colander and pouring the sand back over them. Haddock or hake poach the same way, extra broth stands in for the wine, and one small jar of saffron will carry you through many more pots of this.

A recipe from Chef Paulo chefpaulo.com/recipes/cod-poached-saffron-broth-leeks/

Ingredients

4 cod fillets (5 oz each)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups vegetable broth
1 wide strip orange zest, removed with a peeler
3/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Method

Swish the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water to loosen the grit, then lift them out and leave the sand behind.
Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat.
Add the leeks and garlic and cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine, crumble in the saffron, and simmer until reduced by half.
Add the broth, orange zest, salt, and a few grinds of pepper, then bring to a bare simmer.
Slide the cod fillets into the liquid and hold it at a bare simmer, never a boil, until the fish is opaque and the thickest part registers 145°F (63°C), about 8 minutes.
Ladle the broth and cod into shallow bowls and scatter the dill over the top.

Chef's notes

Swap in haddock or hake, or use extra broth in place of the wine, and know that one small jar of saffron will carry you through a dozen more pots of this.