Mediterranean Baked Cod | Recipeish | Gustus Vitae
Yield: Serves 4.
Time Estimate: 1 Hour, including 30 minutes unattended.
Storage Notes: May be kept covered & refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Difficulty: Easy.
Take your tastebuds to the sunny Mediterranean with this recipe, quick enough for a weeknight and loaded with all sorts of delicious, complimentary flavors and textures. Consider making double the amount of seared Greek chickpeas - they're addictive and perfect to snack on while the fish is in the oven.
Ingredients
- 4 Cod filets
- 1 Big glass white wine (Assyrtiko if you're really leaning into Greek)
- 1 Large can San Marzano tomatoes (28oz)
- 1 Cup couscous
- 1 Can chickpeas
- 10 Cherry tomatoes
- 1 Large white onion
- 5 Cloves garlic
- About 1 Cup of olive oil
- 1 Cup no/low sodium chicken stock
- 1/3rd Stick unsalted butter
- 2 Full Tins Taste of Greece Seasoning
- 2 Tbs capers (with juice)
- 10 pitted olives
- 1 Tbs Zesty Lemon Cane Sugar
- 2 Tbs Oregano
- 1 Tbs Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tbs Greek Tzatziki Sea Salt
- 3 Lemons
- 1 Bunch of parsley
- 5 Leaves basil
- 8 Tbs creme fraiche
- Zest one lemon, and reserve.
- Drizzle olive oil and rub in to lightly coat a fish steamer, like this handsome ceramic one from Emile Henry.
- Arrange cod filets on steamer, and juice over 2 lemons. Generously season with 1/2 a tin of Taste of Greece Seasoning. Cover, and pop in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a rice cooker, melt butter, then add couscous and chicken stock, and cook.
- Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a medium saucepan, then pour in canned tomatoes and white wine, and cook on medium low heat, stirring and mushing occasionally, for around 30 minutes.
- Peel onions and garlic, slicing onion into fine strands, and rough chopping the garlic. Halve cherry tomatoes. Thinly cut remaining lemon into slices, and dust both sides with Zesty Lemon Cane Sugar. Strain chickpeas.
- Bring a sauté pan up to high heat, and splash in 2 Tbs of olive oil.
- Pour in chickpeas, seasoning generously with Taste of Greece. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until they are well browned. Remove, and return pan to high heat, adding another 2 Tbs of olive oil.
- When the oil begins to smoke, add onions and garlic, sprinkling on more Taste of Greece as you do. They'll brown quickly - remove before they turn black, and return pan to heat, this time searing the cherry tomatoes.
- Add a final drizzle of olive oil, and sear lemon slices for around 1 minute per side.
- Remove fish steamer from the fridge, and pour reduced tomato sauce over fish. Coat with chickpeas, onions and garlic, and lemon slices.
- Sprinkle over Crushed Red Peppers, oregano, and remaining Taste of Greece seasoning, reserving about 1 Tbs for the couscous. Garnish with basil leaves, cover, and pop in the oven.
- Rinse parsley, remove stems, and rough chop, before folding into couscous along with Taste of Greece seasoning and around 1 tsp of olive oil.
- Remove fish steamer after 30 minutes.
- To plate, lay down couscous, use a slotted spatula to divvy out fish, then spoon over sauce, and finish with a dollop of creme fraiche, a sprinkle of Tzatziki Sea Salt, and the reserved lemon zest.