This light yet satisfying dish conjures up memories of the Mediterranean cruise my wife and I went on recently. Oh, yeah—we’ve never been on a Mediterranean cruise, but we hope to do so soon!
Seriously, this is one of those dishes that you’d expect to find in a fine dining restaurant, but it’s so simple to make that you’ll never want to pay those inflated prices again when you can whip this up at home for a fraction of the cost.
You’ll also get tons of kudos from your family and guests, to which you’ll respond humbly, “Oh it was nothing.” The dirty little secret is that it didn’t really take that much effort, but feel free to bask in your triumphant glow for a few minutes anyway.
Here’s what you’ll need:
4 (4-6 oz.) cod fillets
2 limes
1/3 C. black olives (Spanish or Kalamata olives are best, but canned California olives will do)
1/4 C. capers
1 T. chopped fresh or 1 t. dried rosemary
2 T. unsalted butter
1 cup sweet white wine, such as Moscato
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
Panko bread crumbs
How to Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Pour 2-3 T. of olive oil in a baking dish and sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste. (The olives and capers will add quite a bit of salt, so go easy on it.)
- Place cod in the dish, turning several times to coat with the olive oil.
- Squeeze juice of ½ lime over the fish, then top with a thin layer of Panko bread crumbs.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes, then remove from oven and flip over. Top with the following, in this order: juice of ½ lime, more bread crumbs, olives, capers, rosemary, and some lime zest.
- Pour wine around, not over, the fish. Cut butter into small bits and arrange evenly in pan.
- Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
- While fish is baking, cut remaining lime into wedges for garnish and extra flavor.
- Serve with rice and poached asparagus.
And that’s it! Hope you enjoy this recipe–be sure to check back often for more recipes, videos, and cooking tips. And until we meet again, remember to Live Well, Eat Well, and Be Happy!
Lawrence J. Clark: The Mountain Man Gourmet!
