If you like fish I think you'll love this Mediterranean oven-baked cod which is marinated in a mixture of olive oil, pesto and capers to infuse it with Mediterranean flavours. The fish is then oven-baked until it is flaky and succulent, before being smothered in a delicious garlicky tomato sauce.
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Oven-baked cod
This Mediterranean oven-baked cod recipe is one of my favourite ways of serving fish, not least because (excluding the half an hour it needs to marinate) I can have it on the table in half an hour.
- It's super-healthy because it's not fried. Instead, the cod is marinated in olive oil, capers and pesto to infuse the flavours, before being oven-baked until it just flakes when prodded with a fork.
- It's covered with a spicy sauce that is packed with the flavour of tomatoes, and which pairs beautifully with the marinated fish.
- This oven-baked cod is so quick to make it's almost like having a ready meal from the supermarket, but because you've made it yourself, you know exactly what's gone into it.
From start to finish, you can have this Mediterranean cod on the table in just over half an hour. That's what I call fast food. It's just a matter of multi-tasking!
- Get the fish into the marinade.
- While the fish is marinating, get the potatoes on to boil and prepare the ingredients for the marinara sauce.
- Put the cod into the oven to bake.
- While the cod is in the oven, boil up the marinara sauce and drain the potatoes.
- Job done!
- (Oh yes - don't forget a couple of minutes to warm up the frozen peas in the microwave).
I've called the recipe Mediterranean oven-baked cod, but you can use any firm white fish to make this dish. Tilapia, haddock, hake, kingklip, barramundi and snapper (and I'm sure many others) are all suitable for making this recipe.
What you will need
Equipment
To marinate the cod you will need a shallow glass dish. If you use an oven-proof dish (like the Pyrex ones in the link), then you can just transfer the marinated cod straight into the oven in the same dish (ie less washing up!)
For making the sauce you will need a saucepan and a sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the shallots.
Ingredients
Fish
For the fish, you will need your choice of fish fillets, olive oil, pesto and capers.
Cod - as I said earlier, you can substitute this with your favourite firm white fish. You can use fresh or frozen, it doesn't matter. If you are using frozen fish fillets, you should let them defrost first and press them gently with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. I like to buy ready-skinned fillets - just ask your fishmonger to skin them for you if you are unsure about skinning fish yourself. You should allow 4 to 6 ounces (that's 110 to 170 grams) per person, depending on appetite.
Olive oil - use extra virgin olive oil if possible, as this is the highest quality.
Capers - to provide a slightly salty tang.
Pesto - use your favourite brand - I like the one flavoured with basil. If you'd like to make your own pesto you can find a great recipe for homemade pesto on my friend Jacqui's site (Recipes Made Easy).
Marinara sauce
For the marinara sauce, you will need tomato passata, shallots, mixed herbs and garlic.
Tomato passata - passata is just tomatoes that have been pureed and then sieved to remove any seeds and pieces of skin. It's a deliciously thick, smooth tomato puree, not to be confused with tomato ketchup!
Shallots - these are small onions, much sweeter and milder in taste than the normal white onion. I prefer using shallots to onions as the taste doesn't overpower that of the fish. The actual number of shallots you will need depends on their size - 8 to 10 small shallots should be sufficient to make 2 cups of chopped shallots.
Mixed herbs - this is a mixture of dried rosemary, basil, oregano, and thyme.
Garlic - well, why not? Garlic goes so well in everything! The garlic should be peeled and finely diced.
You should taste this sauce once it's cooked and add salt to taste if necessary. I also like to add a scant teaspoon of sugar whenever I'm cooking with tomatoes, to cut through the tartness (but that's just to my taste).
What to do
Marinate and bake the fish
Place the fillets of fish in a shallow baking dish and pour over the olive oil, then add the pesto and the capers. Massage all the ingredients into the fish, cover the dish with a sheet of tinfoil and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.
After 30 minutes, transfer the marinated fish (still in the dish covered with tinfoil) to a preheated oven (200C / 400F) and bake for 15 minutes.
The actual cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fish fillets. If your fish fillets are on the thick side you may need to leave them in the oven for a minute or two longer. The fish will be cooked when you can flake it with a fork - it should be completely white on the inside, and not opaque.
Marinara sauce
Peel and chop the shallots finely and peel and crush the garlic. The shallots should be chopped to the approximate size of a pea.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the shallots and garlic over a medium heat.
Fry the shallots for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent. Do not allow them to brown.
Stir in the tomato passata and the mixed herb. Season with salt and sugar if using. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Leave to simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
To serve, place the fish on a plate and spoon the sauce over. Serve with boiled potatoes and peas on the side.
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Health benefits of fish
Both the British and the American Heart Foundations recommend eating 2 portions of fish a week.
Fish is packed with nutrients such as:
- omega-3 fatty acids
- vitamins D and B2
- calcium and phosphorus
- and minerals such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and potassium.
We British are a nation of fish lovers. One of our most popular national dishes is the ubiquitous fish and chips, as sold in every town in the country. However, according to the NHS, even the British don't eat the recommended 2 portions of fish per week.
And to be honest, it's probably a good thing. Covering a piece of fish in a thick batter and then deep-frying it has to negate at least some of the health benefits to be derived from eating fish 🙂
Get ahead
You can make the marinara sauce ahead of time and either store it in the refrigerator in a covered dish for up to three days or freeze it for up to 6 months.
I wouldn't recommend preparing the fish in advance. The fish is best when it is freshly marinated and cooked.
Save for later
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Other fish recipes
These are some of my favourite fish recipes that you may also like to try:
- Monkfish wrapped in Serrano ham with lobster risotto - Sweet and tender chunks of monkfish wrapped in Serrano ham served on a bed of tasty lobster-flavoured risotto.
- Cheesy fish pie with a crispy topping - succulent fish and seafood in a cheesy sauce with a crispy topping.
- Seafood a la king - prawns and other seafood cooked in a creamy cheese sauce and served on a bed of rice.
- Fish Milanese with a buttery garlic and parsley sauce - fillets of cod cooked in crispy breadcrumbs and covered with a buttery garlic sauce.
- Spicy fish and rice bake in tomato sauce - succulent fillets of fish oven baked with rice and tomato sauce for an easy one-dish meal.
- Easy homemade fish cakes - flaked fish mixed with mashed potatoes in a crispy coating.
📋The recipe
Mediterranean oven-baked cod with marinara sauce
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Aluminium Foil
Ingredients
Fish
- 1¼ pounds / 675g skinless cod fillets or any firm white fish
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- 1 tablespoon capers
Marinara sauce
- 2¼ cups / 500 ml tomato passata
- 2 cups finely chopped shallots 8 to 10 shallots depending on size.
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- 2 cloves finely minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
- ¾ teaspoon sugar optional
Instructions
Fish
- Place the fillets of fish in a shallow baking dish and pour over the olive oil, then add the pesto and the capers. Massage all the ingredients into the fish, cover the dish with a sheet of tinfoil and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.1¼ pounds / 675g skinless cod fillets, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons pesto, 1 tablespoon capers
- Once the fish has marinated, remove the dish from the refrigerator and transfer it to a pre-heated oven (200C / 400F). Leave the dish covered with the tinfoil.
- Bake for 15 minutes. The actual cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish. The fish will be cooked when it flakes easily when prodded with a fork, and is completely white on the inside.
- To serve, place the fish on a plate and spoon the sauce over. Serve with boiled potatoes and peas on the side.
Marinara sauce
- Peel and chop the shallots finely and peel and crush the garlic.2 cups finely chopped shallots, 2 cloves finely minced garlic
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic over a medium heat until the shallots soften and turn translucent (5 to 7 minutes). Keep stirring as the shallots are frying - do not allow them to brown.2 cups finely chopped shallots, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves finely minced garlic
- Now add the tomato passata and the mixed herbs, turn the heat down to a simmer. Do not cover. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Keep your eye on it, the sauce should just simmer slowly and not boil. The sauce should now be thick enough to spoon over the fish. If it is still very runny, leave it on the heat for another minute or two.2¼ cups / 500 ml tomato passata, 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and sugar to taste if necessary.salt, ¾ teaspoon sugar
Notes
- Get the fish into the marinade.
- While the fish is marinating, boil the potatoes and prepare the ingredients for the marinara sauce.
- Put the fish into the oven to bake.
- While the fish is in the oven, boil up the marinara sauce and drain the potatoes.
- (Oh yes - don't forget a couple of minutes to warm up the frozen peas in the microwave).
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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