Soy Butter Fish and Peas

Name: Soy Butter Fish and Peas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds skinless white fish (such as cod, hake or halibut), cut into 4 equal pieces; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar; 1 (2-inch) piece (unpeeled) ginger, thinly sliced into rounds; 3 cups (about 12 ounces) snow peas or snap peas (or a mix); 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

By Andy Baraghani

Published June 6, 2025

Soy Butter Fish and Peas — Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 5(19)
Comments: Read comments

Some dishes feel like they take hours to develop deep flavor, but this one comes together in minutes. The fish gently steams in a rich, buttery soy and black pepper sauce, soaking up its deeply savory notes while staying perfectly tender. Just before serving, snap peas (or snow peas) are tossed in, adding a fresh green crunch. Everything cooks in one pan, making this dish fast, effortless and packed with flavor. Feel free to swap in other quick-cooking vegetables like bok choy or asparagus for a different take.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1¼pounds skinless white fish (such as cod, hake or halibut), cut into 4 equal pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼cup unsalted butter
3tablespoons soy sauce
3tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1(2-inch) piece (unpeeled) ginger, thinly sliced into rounds
3cups (about 12 ounces) snow peas or snap peas (or a mix)
1cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Season the fish on all sides with salt and set aside.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, stir in the soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Season with about 6 cranks of pepper (or ½ teaspoon, if you’re measuring).
Step 3
Using tongs, gently lay the pieces of fish in the pan. Cover the skillet and steam until the fish is almost fully opaque, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 4
Uncover and sprinkle the snow peas over the fish. Cover the skillet again and continue to steam until the fish is fully opaque and cooked through and the peas are bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 5
Garnish with cilantro and serve directly from the pan or transfer to a platter.

Ratings

5 out of 5

19 user ratings

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Comments

Rick T4 days ago

Made as directed with cod and snow peas. Delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked, but the peas a little underdone for my taste. Next time I will blanch them for a minute or so and hold in cold water while starting the fish.

Rick T4 days ago

Lilcat1 week ago

Delicious! I didn’t have ginger so used minced shallot sauteed in the butter until translucent then added the soy/vinegar. Added sliced shiitake mushrooms with the snow peas. Served with steamed jasmine rice.

David S1 week ago

I sautéed the ginger in the butter a bit first. And used tamari instead of soy sauce (a little richer). Otherwise made as written (using halibut). Was delicious in a gentle way that didn’t cover up the fresh taste of the fish.

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