Mediterranean baked cod with tomatoes and olives
Mild, flaky cod bakes over juicy tomatoes and salty olives, and the pan juices are good enough to drink.
- 35 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $7.27 a serving
- 470 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 cod fillets, about 6 oz each
- 1 lemon, zested, then cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- 4 slices french bread (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 470 calories, 33 g protein, 17 g carbs and 30 g fat, and costs about $7.27 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No kalamata olives? Black olives work.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No cod fillets? Tilapia fillets work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
- No french bread? Sourdough bread works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F.
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 tomatoes, olives, onion and garlic on a with 2 tablespoons of oil, the oregano, half the salt and the pepper.
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.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to and wrinkle.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Timer: 10 min
the cod dry, rub it with the rest of the oil, and with the rest of the salt and the lemon while the tomatoes .
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.
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.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Nestle the cod among the tomatoes and for 10 to 12 minutes more, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Timer: 11 min
Dolly’s tip: Tuck the thin tail end under itself so the whole fillet cooks evenly.Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Squeeze a lemon wedge over each piece, scatter the parsley on top and spoon plenty of the pan juices over the fish.
Serve with bread for mopping up the juices, if you like.
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.
