Baked cod and shrimp
Cod and shrimp baked together in garlicky lemon butter with cherry tomatoes, a seafood bake that looks fancy and takes 15 minutes of work.
- 35 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $5.18 a serving
- 280 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 lemon, zested, then half juiced and half cut into wedges
- 3 cod fillets, about 6 oz each, thawed if frozen
- 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Each serving has about 280 calories, 35 g protein, 4 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $5.18 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No cod fillets? Tilapia fillets work.
- No raw shrimp? Frozen raw shrimp works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F. Scatter the tomatoes in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
the butter, oil, garlic, lemon and juice, paprika, half the salt and the pepper together.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
the cod dry, cut each fillet in half and nestle the pieces among the tomatoes. with the rest of the salt and spoon half the garlic butter over.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Season. Seasoning means adding salt, pepper or spices to bring out a food’s flavor. A little at a few stages tastes better than a lot all at the end.
How you’ll know: When you taste it, it tastes bright and like itself, not flat and not salty.
for 8 minutes.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 8 min
Dolly’s tip: The cod goes in first because it takes longer. The shrimp join partway through so both finish together.the shrimp in the rest of the garlic butter with the red pepper flakes, then tuck them around the fish.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
7 to 9 minutes more, until the cod flakes easily in the thickest part.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 8 min
Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Cut into the thickest shrimp: it should be opaque all the way through. Scatter the parsley over and serve with the lemon wedges and the pan juices.
Food safety: Shrimp are done when they turn pink and opaque all the way through and curl into a loose C. A tight O means overcooked, not unsafe.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
