Summer

Cod Mare Chiaro

by:
July 21, 2009
4.7
7 Ratings
Cod Mare Chiaro
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

This is something you might find in a red sauce Italian restaurant, but that doesn't mean it's not delicious if made well. I had some tomato sauce left over from the previous night's dinner, but I was tired of pasta so I added some olives, capers, and oregano to it and roasted up some cod and potatoes. - Giulia Melucci —Giulia Melucci

Test Kitchen Notes

Giulia Melucci's recipe made us think of an old Patricia Wells recipe that we love, in which lamb is cooked atop a bed of potatoes. In Melucci's dish, you begin by roasting quartered potatoes until they're almost tender. While they cook, you get a fresh, chunky tomato sauce simmering on the stove, seasoning it with capers, olives, oregano and fresh basil. When the potatoes are nearly done, you push them to the sides of your roasting pan, plop the fish in the center, spoon the glistening sauce on top and send it back in the oven to finish cooking. Like with Fisheri's pasta, you get an excellent summer fish dinner with very few ingredients. - A & M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 medium red potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound cod
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
  • 6 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried
  • 4 basil leaves, torn
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Cut potatoes into quarters. Toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 tsp. oregano, salt and pepper. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for twenty minutes.
  3. While potatoes are cooking warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the chopped garlic, saute until garlic is golden (2-3 minutes).
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes to the garlic and oil. Allow the tomatoes to come to a simmer then add the sliced olives and capers, the rest of the oregano, salt, pepper, and two of the torn basil leaves; cook for 2 more minutes.
  5. When the potatoes have roasted for 20 minutes clear a space in the center of the pan, add the cod, cover with tomato sauce and roast with the potatoes for 20 more minutes.
  6. Remove from oven, divide between two plates, garnish with the remaining fresh basil leaves and serve.
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16 Reviews

Linda D.
Linda D. March 24, 2022
Made this again last night. So simple. So delicious, Giulia. I did not have kalamati olives on hand and used the pimiento stuffed green olives I had. Still delicious!
 
Ginny E.
Ginny E. October 27, 2021
Unexpectedly good!
Don’t buy cod too much, and am not really a fan of olives but this dish was very good. I will put it into our rotation!
 
Linda D.
Linda D. October 24, 2021
Agreed! Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
 
Carol
Carol March 11, 2016
Simply delicious and easy to prepare. I make this often.
 
Kathy R.
Kathy R. March 30, 2014
Delicious. I didn't change a thing. Used Hunt's fire-roasted tomatoes with excellent results.
 
Kateq
Kateq April 21, 2013
Lovely and easy and what's left of the sauce with the bits of fish will be super over pasta. Thanks!
 
Kate K.
Kate K. July 17, 2012
This was super easy and delicious. I have never cooked cod before and we loved this recipe. Definitely on the short list from now on.
 
tburns01
tburns01 January 24, 2011
I just made this and it was delish! I added chopped onion and white wine to the sauce. Wow. This one is a keeper.
 
Paige K.
Paige K. January 4, 2011
I made this tonight with salmon - it was delicious! I added a 1/2 cup of white wine to the sauce for a bit more liquid, along with 2 vine ripened tomatoes and half an onion. This is my 2nd time cooking this - I absolutely love it!
 
CaryNC
CaryNC October 28, 2010
Hmm.. I happen to be cooking red potatoes and fresh cod tonight and was going to do onions, capers, and thyme but this looks really good and I happen to have some leftover red sauce. Wish I had all those extra home grown tomatoes now that I was so sick of last month. Thanks!!
 
jodikantor
jodikantor August 20, 2009
So easy. So good. But better for winter than summer? We used greenmarket tomatoes, but given all the garlic and capers, I think Pomi would have tasted pretty much the same...
 
Rhonda35
Rhonda35 August 16, 2009
Variation: Last night, I had all of the ingredients for this recipe, except the fish. Used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead - delicious!
 
Kelsey B.
Kelsey B. August 5, 2009
This looks divine, I love the idea of using leftover red sauce with cod.
 
Merrill S.
Merrill S. August 4, 2009
Those potatoes look perfectly roasted -- your photo is making me hungry!
 
Amanda H.
Amanda H. July 21, 2009
Giulia, I love how you roast everything together. Reminds me of a Patricia Wells recipe where she roasts lamb on top of a potato gratin.
 
Rhonda35
Rhonda35 August 5, 2009
I love that Patricia Wells recipe! Use that technique with roast chicken and pork, too. Doesn't matter what animal the fat comes from, when it's cooked into the potatoes, it's divine.