Fast and Easy Baked Cod

This recipe is wholesome, tasty and good to eat. It does include a potato base, but due to the little fat in the remaining ingredients it actually quite light. The cooking method is easy and healthy. It’s basically a ‘technique’ which can be adapted to suit your tastes and ingredients. Vegetables are roasted in the oven and the fish is added at the end. Potatoes are used to create a gratin-like base, however these could be substituted for brown rice or other whole grains. Use the tin foil to tightly cover the roasting tray and cook the rice and vegetables like a pilaf. Then finish with the fish and tomatoes.

To make Dad’s baked cod recipe:

Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6

Cook the vegetables. In a large roasting tin, mix the sliced onions, potatoes, leek, fennel, pepper, chilli, garlic, bay leaves and 1 tsp oregano. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a good glug of olive oil. In a separate pan boil the wine and reduce by a quarter add the stock and bring back to the boil. Add the liquid to the roasting tin and cover loosely with tin foil. Put in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for 10 minutes. If the veg looks dry add more stock or water. Add the tomatoes cook for 10 minutes.

Add the fish. Place the fish and black olives on top of the potatoes, sprinkle over the oregano and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning. NB: if you are left with excess liquid, drain it from the pan and boil to reduce into a sauce.

Garnish and serve. Place portions individually on plates or transfer all the fish and potatoes to a large serving platter or simply put the pan on the table. Serve with lemon quarters and garnish with basil.

Liked this baked cod recipe from Dad? Check out his other fish recipes: Fish Soup, Fish Taco, Quick and Easy 30 Minute Spanish Rice with Monkfish or Quick and Easy 30 Minute Thai Fish Cakes.