In this ridiculously easy yet awesomely elegant sheet pan dinner, cod fillets are plopped atop sliced potatoes and roasted to perfection. Understated. Impressive. And just 10 minutes of effort. Although no one besides you needs to know that last part.
Roasted Cod with Potatoes and Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick (6-mm) rounds
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Four (6 to 8 ounce) fresh (not frozen) skinless firm white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock, or halibut, 1 to 1 1/2 inches (25 to 38 mm) thick
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) pieces
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the potatoes, garlic, and oil in a microwave-safe bowl and season with salt and pepper. Microwave, uncovered, until the potatoes are just tender, stirring once or twice, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Arrange the potatoes, overlapping the edges slightly, in 4 portions that resemble rectangles roughly 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 cm).
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and place a fillet on top of each stack of potatoes, skinned side down. Top each fillet with an equal amount of butter, thyme sprigs, and lemon slices.
- Roast until the fish flakes apart when gently prodded with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 18 minutes. Slide a thin metal spatula underneath each stack of potatoes and fish, gently transfer the whole shebang to a plate, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This lemon roast cod with potatoes and lemon was delicious, effortless, and elegant enough for company on a weeknight—this dish is a champion! The roasted cod was plump and juicy, and its delicate flavor was lovely with a hint of citrus and thyme. (What is it about lemon slices and herbs that makes everything look so refined?)
Using the microwave to precook the potatoes with garlic was brilliant and it worked very well here. When roasted, the potato slices were the epitome of success—golden brown on the edges with the inside so incredibly creamy and beautifully flavored.
In order to make sure each serving stayed neat when serving, I lifted the fish and lemon slices with a thin spatula and set them aside in the empty space on the baking sheet, plated the potatoes, and put the cod and lemon back on.
It’s always nice to have a recipe for roasting that doesn’t require you to have the oven on for an hour or more when Mother Nature has left the oven on outside and it is over 90°F already in May. The microwaving of the potatoes in this recipe made this a possibility. And, overall, it’s a very easy recipe to cook.
I used cod. I also sprinkled the area around and between the fish and potato stacks with grape tomatoes just because I had them on hand. The bright red combined with the yellow and green of the lemon and thyme made for an attractive presentation.
We really enjoyed this simple yet elegant roasted cod with potatoes and lemon. It was quick to prepare and the combination of buttery halibut atop crisp potatoes was awesome. I definitely will be making this again and again.
Definitely a keeper! I used haddock instead of cod and threw in a few cherry tomatoes as one reviewer suggested. Next time I think I’ll try tarragon instead of thyme.
Tarragon sounds like a fabulous alternative, Jak. Great photo!
Any good reason not to use defrosted frozen wild cod?
Alexandra, frozen fish can weep a lot of liquid after defrosting because the water in its cells freeze, and those sharp crystals rupture cell walls. It can result in mushy fish. Also, some fish is soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate before freezing. It’s an additive that makes your seafood seem firmer, smoother, and glossier my swelling it with water. When the fish is cooked, it weeps a murky white liquid–all that excess water and phosphate. Best to stay with fresh fish.
WOW this was FANTASTIC!!! It’s so simple and yet so tasty. Extra bonus points for a meal that finishes in the oven so I have time to clean all of the dishes before we eat. The potatoes are really good with the garlic and precooking in the microwave guarantees they will be fully cooked and a bit crispy in just a matter of minutes in the oven. My four year old loved it too! Just moved it to my A+ Dinners Pinterest board!!!
Marvelous, Maria. So happy you and your four-year-old loved it!