Baked Cod with Tomatoes, Fennel & Olives

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A sun-drenched Aegean fish bake: thick cod fillets nestled into a garlicky tomato, fennel and onion base with kalamata olives and capers, then roasted until the fish flakes and the sauce turns jammy. Finished with lemon, dill and a generous pour of good olive oil — no dairy, no grains, just clean Greek flavor from one skillet.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces skinless cod fillets, about 6 oz each and 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with juices
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch coins

• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

1. Pat the cod fillets very dry with paper towels, season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper, rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and set on a plate in the refrigerator while you build the sauce (this keeps the fish firm).
2. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center.
3. Warm 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fennel with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until softened, glossy and just starting to color at the edges.
4. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant but not browned.
5. Stir in the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices, the broth, olives, capers and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has thickened enough that a spoon dragged through it leaves a brief trail.
6. Stir in the zucchini coins and simmer 2 minutes, then taste the sauce and adjust salt — it should be bright and well seasoned, since the fish is not sauced separately.
7. Nestle the cod fillets into the sauce, spooning a little sauce over the tops but leaving the fish mostly exposed. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 14 to 18 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily at the thickest point (140°F on an instant-read thermometer).
8. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over everything, scatter with the dill, parsley and reserved chopped fennel fronds, and drizzle with the last 2 tablespoons olive oil.
9. Serve in shallow bowls, spooning plenty of the tomato-fennel sauce around each fillet, with lemon wedges on the side.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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