Baked Cod
Servings: people (up to)
This baked cod represents the essence of Italian and Mediterranean cooking.The potatoes are baked on the same tray with the cod and become incredibly flavorful as they absorb the fish's cooking juices. Louise and I love the combination of olives, lemon, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. We think you'll love it too! It's the same breading you'd eat on the east coast of Italy.
Ingredients
- 1⅔ pounds cod fillets fresh or defrosted - we used 6 fillets
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 12 cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup black olives halved
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt adjust salt to your liking
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- POTATOES: Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C.Cut 2 pounds potatoes into ¼-inch (0.6mm) slices, add them to your largest baking tray. You can peel them or keep the peel on. We keep it on.Season with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, 1 sprig rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 twists of black pepper.Arrange on a single layer without much overlapping and bake for 30 minutes.
- BREADCRUMBS: to a small bowl, add 1 cup breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the grated zest of 1 lemon, 1 clove garlic (grated), 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley (chopped), ¾ teaspoon salt¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepperCOD FILLETS: arrange 1⅔ pounds cod fillets (fresh or thawed) on a rimmed baking tray and season them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few twists of black pepper.Set both aside to marinate while the potatoes cook.
- TOP WITH BREADCRUMBS: Take the potatoes out of the oven (keep oven on) and arrange the cod fillets on top of the potatoes. Drizzle the leftover marinade over fillets. Add 12 cherry tomatoes and ¼ cup black olives and top fillets with seasoned breadcrumbs.
- BAKE AND SERVE: Bake at 375°F or 190°C for 20 minutes, then broil (grill on top) for 5 minutes or until the bread gets golden brown.Serve your baked cod immediately next to a mixed salad for a complete meal.
Notes
TIPS
- We tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen cod. If using frozen, thaw first in the fridge over several hours.
- Avoid overcooking the cod. That's why we partially cook the potatoes first for at least 30 minutes. If your fillets are small they can be ready in as little as 15 minutes. In our tests, however, we found that most supermarket cod cooks in 18 to 20 minutes.
- Try to season with pinches rather than teaspoons and follow your instinct. You'll get the hand of it 💪.
- Cod: you can use most white fish such as branzino, haddock, hake, halibut, sea bas, sole, and many more.
- Rosemary: substitute thyme.
- Parsley: substitute dried oregano, just a few pinches or it'll overpower the cod.
- Cherry tomatoes: substitute sliced red onion.
- Potatoes: you can make the recipe without potatoes. In this case, arrange the fillet on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, top them with the breadcrumbs, and bake for 20 minutes.
