Cod with parsley sauce was a Friday-table staple in Ireland for many years. Cod fillets are gently poached, not boiled, in milk scented with bay leaf and onion. The same milk is used to make a butter-and-flour sauce brightened with plenty of parsley. The fish is served with its own poaching-milk sauce and boiled potatoes. The fish flavors the sauce, while parsley adds its color and freshness.
Cut the peeled potatoes into even pieces and boil them in salted water for 18–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain, toss with butter, and keep warm with the lid on.
Pour the milk into a wide skillet with the bay leaf, onion, and peppercorns and warm it gently. Add the fillets in a single layer. Heat the milk until it barely shimmers and poach the fish for 6–8 minutes. It should be opaque and flake when pressed with a fork; the thickest part should reach 63°C / 145°F. Transfer the fillets to a warm plate, cover, and strain the milk.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook the flour for 2 minutes without letting it brown. Gradually whisk in the strained hot milk. Cook for 8 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg and cook for 1 more minute.
Place the fillets on plates, spoon plenty of sauce over them, and serve with the buttered potatoes.
The milk used to poach the fish should never boil; boiling makes the cod fibers contract and leaves the fillets dry and flaky.
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