Poor Man's Lobster - What a great meal to put together for a dinner party or just a quiet night at home. The way this seafood is prepared brings out the freshness in the cod with no "fishy" taste. This recipe really does make cod taste like lobster!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
This post includes affiliate links. Please see my disclosure.
I absolutely love lobster. Every time my husband and I are out for a special dinner my mouth starts watering at the thought of this scrumptious delicacy (I live in the Midwest remember) being on the restaurant's specials board. But even when it is, I seem to always pass it up due to the high price tag and the guilt I'd feel following the meal. Sad, right?
Well, to turn my frown upside down I've learned how to make a mean broiled lobster tail for special occasions at home (buying and preparing it yourself costs roughly half of what you'd pay at a restaurant around here) and for a family dinner during the week, I opt for my tried and true broiled cod recipe we call Poor Man's Lobster here in Wisconsin.
WHAT IS POOR MAN'S LOBSTER?
Poor Man's Lobster refers to a Midwestern white fish prepared to mimic the taste of lobster. Here in Wisconsin it's a super common dish to find on Friday night fish fry menus across the state.
When prepared as instructed below, the cod has the texture and consistency of lobster and tastes almost like the real thing.
I promise it will not taste "fishy" and your house will not reek of seafood for the next several days. People who don't even like fish, like this recipe, and it's been known to please even the pickiest eaters - AKA my children.
Poor Man's Lobster is easy, delicious and healthy (for the most part). If you want to substitute the sugar with Splenda, fine. If you want to use less butter, fine. But don't substitute margarine for the butter - it has too watery of a consistency.
Roll up your sleeves, get your ingredients together and let's make some Poor Man's Lobster! It's pretty safe to say this could easily become a staple meal in your home after you try it!
HOW TO MAKE POOR MAN'S LOBSTER
To make this delicious Wisconsin classic, you'll need:
- Cod fillets
- Sugar
- Water
- Salt
- Lemon pepper seasoning
- Paprika
- Fresh lemon
- Melted butter
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING POOR MAN'S LOBSTER
Begin preheating your broiler on low and follow the steps below:
- Begin by covering a broiling pan with aluminum foil. Shape the foil to the grooves of your pan to catch the excess liquid and spray with foil with nonstick spray.
- Add 6 cups of water to a mixing bowl and add in a cup of sugar.
- Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the sugar-water mixture and stir well.
- Place the cod fillets in a large saucepan and pour the water-mixture over the fish. The water-mixture should fully cover the fish, if it doesn’t add more water. Bring the water to a boil over a medium-high heat and boil for 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod fillet.
BROILING THE POOR MAN'S LOBSTER
- Remove the cod from the water with tongs taking care not to break the fillets in half. Place the cod fillets on the foil-lined broiler pan.
If you use something other than a broiler pan (like a cookie sheet) make sure to blot the excess water off of the fish. Using a broiler pan prevents the fish from sitting in the excess liquid when in the oven. - Brush some melted butter on the tops of the fillets.
- Sprinkle on some lemon pepper seasoning and paprika.
- Squeeze some lemon juice over all of the fillets and put under the broiler on low for about 7 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
WHAT OTHER KINDS OF FISH CAN YOU USE FOR THIS RECIPE?
Really any type of white fish can be used for this recipe. If you don't have cod handy, here are a few other types of fish you can try:
- Haddock
- Tilapia
- Burbot
- Halibut
- Monkfish
- Pike
SHOULD I THAW THE FISH FILLETS?
I always use frozen fillets for this recipe because if they're thawed, the fillets will literally fall apart in the boiling water in the saucepan.
Poor Man's Lobster is a great dinner option when you forget to take something out of the freezer the night before!
Serve the fish with some melted butter and get ready for the deliciousness!
CRAVING MORE DELICIOUS SEAFOOD RECIPES?
Poor Man's Lobster
Ingredients
- 6 6 oz. cod fillets
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- Melted butter (to brush fillets and for dipping)
- ½ lemon
- Paprika and lemon-pepper seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler.
- Wrap a broiler pan with aluminum foil (easier clean up) and spray with nonstick spray. Make sure you shape the aluminum foil to the grooves on your broiler pan so the excess liquid has somewhere to go and your fish doesn’t have to sit in it.
- Place the fish in a large saucepan. Mix together the water, sugar, and salt. Pour the water-mixture over the fish. The water-mixture should fully cover the fish, if it doesn’t add more water. Bring the water to a boil over a medium-high heat. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod fillet.
- Remove fillets from water, brush with melted butter, and season with lemon-pepper and paprika. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top.
- Broil for about 7 minutes on low or until the fillets are opaque and flake with a fork. Serve with melted butter.
Notes
- Adjust Boiling Time Based On Thickness: The boiling time for the cod fillets can vary depending on their thickness. Thicker fillets may require a longer boiling time to cook through properly, while thinner fillets may cook more quickly. Keep an eye on the fillets and adjust the boiling time accordingly to avoid overcooking.
- Properly Shape Aluminum Foil For Easy Cleanup: When wrapping the broiler pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, take care to shape the foil to fit the grooves of the pan. This helps ensure that any excess liquid from the boiling process can drain away, preventing the fish from sitting in it and becoming soggy.
- Use Low Broil Setting: When broiling the seasoned cod fillets, opt for the low broil setting to prevent them from cooking too quickly on the outside while remaining undercooked inside. This allows for more even cooking and ensures that the fillets are opaque and flaky when done.
duane l
I loved this recipe! Making it again for dinner now!!
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It's definitely one of our family favorites!
Dale
Hi, has anyone tried this paddlefish/spoonbill? I'm wondering if the sugar will lessen the oiliness of this fish.
Susan
If you live lobster and know what it tastes like you would not promote this recipe! It is way too sweet and taste nothing like lobster!
Sara
Susan, this is a classic recipe in the state of Wisconsin. We LOVE it and variations of the recipe are served in restaurants all over the state on Friday nights.
T
I am hooked, what a great way to prepare cod. Used Old Bay instead of lemon pepper and definitely use clarified butter! Be attentive when broiling when it is sizzling and staring to be fragrant get it out of the oven nothing worse then rubbery fish! Love it it definitely mimics lobster without all the work with a shell.
Stalea69
This recipe was so easy to make and was very delicious. I didn’t think it tasted like lobster but it didn’t really taste like Cod either. I will be making it again.
Jessi
I made the recipe several times a few years ago and LOVED it, but somehow it completely fell off my radar and I forgot all about it. I bought some cod and was trying to decide how to make it and luckily found this again on my Pinterest board and am making it right now! Can't wait for it to be done! As a Wisconsin girl, I love Poor Man's Lobster, and this is just as good (better IMO) as any supper club!
John
Came across this after trying multiple other recipes to get cod to not taste as fishy. This is a winner, and a regular in my house for sure. Thanks!
Megan
Made this for dinner tonight. It was perfect! I wasn’t expecting much in comparison of lobster but it lives up to its name. It was so easy to make and I really enjoyed it. Thank you for the recipe. Will be making it a daily rotation!
Sara
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! This is still one of my all favorite dishes. Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
Leslie
Poor man’s lobster is easy to make and my family LOVES it! Delicious!!!!! I served it with some Guacamole - it’s now a repeat dish! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Mary Stucki
Just to be clear, the cod is frozen before putting it in the sugar water?
Sara
Yes, it should be frozen!
Sally Barry
Well, it ain't lobster, but it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
Sara
Ha! So glad you enjoyed it!
Janice
This is one of my favorite meals! My parents used to add bay leaf and allspice to the boiling water as well. All else is right on cue!
Nancy Snook
Thank you so much for this recipe. My mom used to make poor man's lobster when I was young and I haven't had it in over 30 years. My husband is not a fish eater but I keep trying. Tonight was a winner! He will never admit to loving it, but he ate a few pieces. 🙂
Also, I used thawed cod and it still worked. I can't wait to try it again with the frozen cod.
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and it sounds like your husband "maybe" did, too. 🙂