The secret to this recipe is to roast the tomatoes first before adding the fish. The result? Intense Mediterranean flavours and perfectly cooked Cod. Or any other thick dense fish like Mahi Mahi, Grouper or Halibut.
Not only is this fish recipe loaded with flavour, it also just happens to be healthy. Really really healthy. And the colours? Beautiful. I’ve said in many posts that I love briny ingredients like olives and capers so if you do too, this one will make you happy. If you don’t have any capers on hand you can skip them but don’t leave out the olives.
We all know the best tomatoes are fresh picked in warm weather. And vine ripened. Since that’s not always possible, I highly recommend using cherry or grape tomatoes. You can buy them year round and they usually taste pretty good. And, they don’t have as much liquid as a fresh ripe juicy tomato so your fish isn’t drowning in your pan. Because fish can’t swim after they’ve been cleaned.
It sounds like there’s a lot of olive oil in this recipe but you need enough to combine with the tomatoes and lemon juice to make an amazing sauce that surrounds the fish so it cooks gently without drying out. Almost poaching. For best results, use a baking dish that’s slightly larger than your piece of fish. Nestle the filet into the sauce. You can use one full filet or 2 serving sized pieces.
You might be wondering why the garlic cloves aren’t peeled. Well here’s the thing. While your Mediterranean Roasted Cod is cooking, the garlic gets soft, sweet and mild. Just press the cloves with your fork and the soft garlic will squeeze right out. Discard the papery skin and mix the garlic in with the juices. It’s much less pungent. Same goes for the shallots, which are a milder version of onion so they don’t overpower the other flavours.
Serve this delicious roasted fish with something to soak up the juices like couscous or orzo. Both are a perfect compliment but if you want to keep the gluten to a minimum, I recommend Rosemary Roasted Potatoes. And a side of green veggies. Super super healthy.
If you make Mediterranean Roasted Cod, consider leaving a rating or comment below. Here’s the recipe:
Mediterranean Roasted Cod
Ingredients
- ¾ lb thick filet of Cod Or Grouper, Halibut or Mahi Mahi
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes about a pint
- ½ sweet red pepper, cut into strips or roasted red peppers
- 1 medium sized shallot, sliced or half a medium onion
- 3 - 4 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon, juiced about 3 Tbsp
- 10 - 12 Kalamata olives, halved
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse tomatoes and leave whole. Add to baking dish slightly larger than the size of the fish. Add peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, olives, capers and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Press garlic cloves into mixture.
- Roast uncovered at 400° for 15 - 20 minutes or 20 - 25 minutes if using bake setting.
- Ensure fish is completely thawed if using frozen and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and add to baking dish, ensuring it's completely surrounded by tomato mixture. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil, spoon tomato mixture over fish and roast uncovered for 5 more minutes or until fish flakes easily and interior is no longer translucent (minimum 145° internal temperature).
- Serve with couscous, orzo or roasted potatoes.
This is next on my list!
Marci, I made your creamy Boursin pasta with chicken a month ago- it was soooo delicious!
Oh that’s great, I’m glad you tried it. You’ll like the fish!
I made this today for lunch and it was delicious. I only had sole in the freezer but it worked well. This pairs well with roasted potatoes. I will definitely add this to the roster of favourite fish recipes. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Lynda!