Mediterranean Baked Cod

I precocious started moving retired pinch a trainer, and 1 of nan first things she mentioned was nan value of incorporating much macromolecule into my meals. Thinking you mightiness beryllium successful nan aforesaid boat, I looked done my look archives and realized I needed much quick, protein-rich dinners that I could trust connected during nan week. That’s really this baked cod look came to life.

Growing up successful nan Mediterranean, food was ever prepared pinch simple, caller ingredients, and this type captures precisely that. The operation of roasted tomatoes, garlic, olives, and a drizzle of oliva lipid is nan benignant of mundane cooking I grew up with: straightforward, flavorful, and nourishing without being complicated. 

Even if you person ne'er cooked food before, this look is designed to beryllium foolproof, easy capable for a Tuesday night, yet afloat of nan caller and vibrant flavors I cognize truthful well.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You only request a fistful of simple, caller ingredients to make this baked cod fish. The nonstop amounts are listed successful nan recipe paper below, but beneath are a fewer notes and tips from my room to thief you get nan champion results:

For The Vegetables:

Cherry tomatoes: If you can, acquisition colorful cherry tomatoes arsenic they are sweeter and connection different flavors. I halve them, but if yours are connected nan bigger side, 4th them. With that being said, immoderate benignant of tomatoes you person connected manus would work. Just beryllium judge to trim them into small, moreover chunks.

Onion: I opted for shallots for their mild and saccharine flavor. When roasted, they somewhat caramelize and get moreover sweeter. Alternatively, you tin usage reddish onions (cut successful ample chunks) for a akin spirit aliases chopped scallions for a milder bulb flavor.

Garlic: Freshly minced ail cloves are my choice, but ail powder tin beryllium substituted if you for illustration a milder ail flavor.

Olives: I americium utilizing pitted greenish olives (Castelvetrano olives are my favorite) successful this recipe, but Kalamata olives aliases immoderate different type of oliva you for illustration would besides work. If you’re not a instrumentality of olives, different briny ingredients for illustration capers aliases marinated artichoke hearts tin beryllium substituted.

For The Cod:

Cod fillets: Cod is champion erstwhile bought successful season, which typically runs from September done May. I for illustration utilizing wild-caught caller cod, particularly from nan Pacific aliases Icelandic. 

You tin acquisition this caller food arsenic fillets aliases arsenic a whole. If buying already trim cod, I urge buying fillets that are adjacent successful size truthful they cook evenly. 

While I utilized already trim fillets, you tin navigator a full fillet utilizing this recipe. Make judge it fits your baking dish, and support successful mind that nan cooking clip mightiness beryllium somewhat longer.

When it is not successful season, stiff cod tin beryllium used; conscionable beryllium judge that it’s wholly thawed earlier cooking. If you can’t find cod, halibut, aliases haddock are bully substitutes.

Seasonings for baked cod: I kept it elemental and seasoned my cod lightly pinch a spot of oliva oil, kosher salt, and achromatic pepper. But different seasonings for illustration paprika, oregano, aliases moreover a small spot of reddish capsicum flakes would activity beautifully. 

If you are into making your ain seasoning blends, make a batch of my Mediterranean Seasoning and adhd a spoon complete nan food to incorporated much flavors of nan region. 

Fresh Herbs: You tin play astir here. I utilized caller parsley, but thyme aliases basil would activity really well. 

White vino aliases vinegar (optional): I wanted to support this look alcohol-free, but if you’d like, a scatter of barren achromatic vino (or achromatic vino vinegar) added to nan vegetables earlier roasting adds brightness and depth. The acidity balances nan sweetness of nan tomatoes and nan richness of nan oliva oil, making nan crockery sensation lighter and much complex.

How to Make Baked Cod pinch Tomatoes and Olives

One of nan champion things astir this Mediterranean cod look is really weeknight-friendly it is. You conscionable person to pre-roast nan veggies and adhd nan cod halfway through. Here’s really I do it:

Step 1 – Prepare nan veggie base: In a 9X13 casserole dish, flip together nan cherry tomatoes, sliced shallot, caller garlic, and olives pinch nan oliva oil. Season pinch brackish and capsicum and springiness it a bully mix. Place it successful your preheated oven astatine 400°F (204°C) and fto it roast for 15 minutes aliases until nan tomatoes soften. 

Step 2 – Season cod fish: As nan veggies roast, pat your food fillets barren pinch insubstantial towels connected some sides. Doing truthful helps nan seasoning adhere to nan food and prevents it from steaming, truthful it bakes up tender and flaky alternatively of watery.

Drizzle nan food pinch oliva lipid and play some sides pinch brackish and pepper.

Step 3 – Add nan cod and citrus slices: Once nan roasted vegetables are ready, nestle nan cod fillets astir nan roasted veggies and adhd a fewer citrus slices astir nan fish. I for illustration to adhd nan citrus slices astatine this constituent truthful they won’t overcook and sensation bitter.

Step 4 – Bake: Roast for 15-17 minutes more, until nan food turns opaque and flakes easy pinch a fork (or hits 140°F / 60°C if you’re utilizing a nutrient thermometer). Cod cooks quickly, truthful support an oculus connected it to debar drying it out.

Step 5 – Serve and enjoy: Spoon immoderate of nan roasted tomatoes, olives, and each nan juices complete nan food earlier serving. Finish pinch immoderate caller parsley and a compression of caller citrus juice.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating Tips

This oven-baked cod is astatine its champion consecutive from nan oven, but if you person leftovers, here’s really to shop and reheat them:

Make-Ahead: You tin prep nan vegetables 1 time successful advance, conscionable shop them successful an airtight instrumentality successful nan fridge. When fresh to cook, conscionable flip pinch oliva lipid and seasonings and proceed pinch nan recipe. 

Storage: Let nan cooked codfish cool to room somesthesia first, past shop successful an airtight instrumentality successful nan fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Warm mildly successful nan oven astatine 300°F (150°C) for 5-7 minutes aliases until heated thoroughly aliases connected nan stovetop pinch a scatter of h2o to support it moist.

Freezing: I don’t urge freezing, arsenic nan food tin move watery and suffer its texture erstwhile thawed.

Tips for nan Perfect Baked Mediterranean Cod

Even though this look is rather elemental to make, a fewer mini specifications tin make a large quality successful nan last result. Here’s what I recovered useful best:

• Always thaw stiff cod completely: For nan best, flakiest texture, it is imperative that your food is afloat thawed earlier it goes into nan oven. Cooking stiff aliases partially stiff cod will origin it to steam successful nan oven, starring to a watery and mushy texture.
• Taste nan olives first: Some olives tin beryllium other salty, truthful tasting them first is ever champion to debar oversalting nan dish.
• Pat nan cod dry: This is basal for a flaky texture and helps nan seasoning stick. Skipping this measurement tin origin it to steam and move mushy.
• Use a nutrient thermometer: The champion measurement to cheque doneness is to usage a nutrient thermometer. It should registry 140°F (60°C) erstwhile a thermometer is inserted successful nan thickest portion of nan fish.

What to Serve pinch Mediterranean Baked Cod

You tin bask this baked food connected its ain pinch a solid of Sauvignon Blanc aliases a crisp rosé, but if you want to move it into a full-on Mediterranean cod dinner, present are immoderate of my favourite pairings:

• With a starch: Serve it complete my Lemon Orzo aliases Lemon Quinoa for a much filling plate.
• With caller greens: A veggie-packed crockery is ever a awesome pairing pinch fish, and this baked cod is nary exception. Pair it pinch my Greek Cucumber Salad to proceed pinch nan Mediterranean flavors aliases pinch my Spring Mix Salad for a speedy and easy greenish crockery anyone tin make.
• Finish it pinch a sauce: A drizzle of Garlic Butter Sauce is an easy measurement to move this crockery into a restaurant-worthy meal.
• Pair pinch lukewarm bread: My Garlic Bread successful Air Fryer aliases a loaf of my Staub Bread are cleanable for soaking up nan juices.

FAQs

More Mediterranean Fish Recipes to Try

It is nary concealed that seafood dinners are a lifesaver erstwhile you request thing speedy and delicious without excessively overmuch effort. Here are a fewer much akin recipes you mightiness besides like:

• My Harissa Salmon Recipe is simply a sweet-and-spicy one-pan meal that comes together successful nether 30 minutes.
• For thing crispy, effort my Breaded Fish Recipe, which is baked pinch a breadcrumb coating, shallots, garlic, and caller parsley.
• Try my Grilled Mahi Mahi, marinated successful citrus and herbs, past topped pinch caller peach salsa.
• My Shrimp Scampi without Wine is coated successful a buttery ail condiment and pairs perfectly pinch pasta aliases crusty bread.

Photos by Tanya Pilgrim.