Cod in tomato sauce with capers, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest baked in the oven to create a quick and easy healthy midweek dinner.
Whilst this recipe uses cod, you can substitute it for coley, pollock, whiting or hake and it will work perfectly!
Baked Fish in Tomato Sauce
It is pretty rare for me to remember where recipes come from, but this cod in tomato sauce recipe I recall seeing on TV.
British readers of a certain age may remember Ready, Steady Cook. Well, I saw this recipe there back in the mid 90's, and I have been cooking it since!
Oddly enough, I have distant memories of my pan-fried skate wings recipe, cod mornay and cod en papillote all having their starts there too!
Growing up fish in tomato sauce meant sardines, but I grew out of that. Sardines, for me, are much more likely to appear in fish cakes, like these salmon fishcakes.
The tomato sauce features anchovies, capers and garlic and not a lot else.
It is a recipe that screams less is more, and it is so simple. If you are one of those people that thinks that cooking fish is difficult, then you should make this, it will change your mind!
If you love this recipe and a bit of spice, be sure to check out my macher jhol recipe. A Bengali fish curry that has an awful lot in common with this dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other types of fish?
Yes, this recipe works really well with all types of meaty white fish.
Feel free to sub it out for something like pollock, coley, hake (whiting) or haddock.
Can I use fillets of fish rather than loin?
Yes, loin cooks more evenly due to its size. But the fillet works equally well; the thinner bits will just be cooked more than the heart of the fillet.
Can I skip the anchovies? I do not like them.
You can, but I would urge you not to!
The flavour is almost undetectable, but they add an almost meaty umami punch to the sauce.
Do I have to use the capers?
No, you can make a plain tomato sauce and add a load of herbs if you like. But at least give them a try once, they are delicious!
Serving Suggestions
You can take this cod in tomato sauce recipe in several directions in order to create a complete meal.
My personal favourite addition is green beans with almonds. A really old-school French classic with plenty of butter.
Whilst we are being "naughty" with this very nutritious recipe, another option would be crispy fried potatoes or some straw potatoes.
It feeds into that fish and chip thing, and that tomato sauce is just heavenly with salty potatoes.
I'm not a huge advocate of "pasta as a side", but I know many love it! If you are one of those people, this would work wonderfully on a bed of pasta dressed with olive oil and garlic.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- 25x17x5cm or 10x7x2" baking or casserole dish.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
- Stirring spoon.
Baked Cod with Tomato Sauce and Capers Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Pieces Boneless Skinless Cod Loin 350g Total
- 1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g Shallot
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 4 Anchovy Fillets
- 50 g Capers ¼ Cup
- 400 g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes 14oz
- 1 Pinch Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt (plus an extra pinch)
- 1 Pinch black Pepper
- 1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
- Place the cod on some kitchen paper whilst you prepare the rest of the ingredients to absorb any excess water.
- Peel the shallot and dice it as finely as you can.
- Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and then dice them as finely as you can.
- Strip the leaves from the rosemary and thyme and then chop them together.
- Zest the lemon.
- Roughly chop the capers.
- Heat the olive oil in a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallot and anchovy fillets, then cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute then turn the heat up to very high.
- Pour in the tin of tomatoes and add the capers, salt, half of the herbs and a pinch of sugar, then stir and cook for 5-8 minutes. You want to remove most of the water from the tomatoes to prevent the sauce from being too watery.
- Transfer the tomato sauce to a baking dish (25x17x5cm or 10x7x2").
- Add the pieces of cod to the sauce and drizzle the top of the fish with a little more olive oil.
- Sprinkle the top of the fish with the lemon zest, the remaining herbs and a pinch of salt & black pepper.
- Transfer to the oven and bake at 180°C or 350°F for 12-15 minutes. You are looking for an internal temperature of around 60°C or 140°F.