Easy Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

This recipe is an homage to the iconic Italian fish dish, Cod Livornese. Located on the western coast of Tuscany, the port city of Livornese is credited for creating this regional specialty, which quickly braises fresh cod in a sauce of dry white wine, onions, tomatoes, garlic, capers and parsley. This variation incorporates fresh oregano as its herbal back-note and adds a mix of buttery green Castelvetrano olives and briny, black Kalamata olives for texture and flavor. A healthy dish that you can get on the table in under 15 minutes—this recipe is a nice break from all the rich holiday fare.
This recipe uses a clever technique to keep fresh cod moist and flavorful: roasting it at a high temperature while nestled in a bed of seasoned, thinly sliced leeks. However, keep an eye on the time since overcooking this lean fish makes it tough. Another tip is to cut the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise before adding them to the skillet, which helps break down the tomatoes more quickly to create the fresh red sauce. Adding a knob of unsalted, good-quality butter at the end of the cooking process balances out the tomato’s acidity to round out the flavor.
Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers
Serves: 2 as a main; 4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
1 lb. skinless cod filet
1 teaspoon flake salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Avocado or olive oil spray
1 leek, white and tender green parts only, cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup good-quality olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 dry-pint grape tomatoes, about 1 ½ cups, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup dry white wine
16 pitted green Castelvetrano olives
9 pitted black Kalamata olives, rinsed
4 sprigs fresh oregano or basil leaves, hand-torn, about 1/3 cup
1 1/2 tablespoons capers rinsed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ small lemon, juice only
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Preparation

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly salt cod fillet with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper, then lightly film with spray oil. Cut the leeks lengthwise again into ¼-inch matchsticks.
Place in a small baking tray, lightly film with olive oil, and toss to coat. Place cod in center of baking dish, and surround fish with leeks on perimeter on all 4 sides. Add fish and leeks to preheated oven, and roast for 8-10 minutes, or until fish is no longer opaque and easily flakes with the tip of a knife. Remove and set aside.
While the fish is cooking, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté till translucent and soft—about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil or oregano, and remaining salt. Stir often with a wooden spoon and heat for 5 minutes or until tomatoes break down and create a sauce.

Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Simmer for 3-4 minutes to burn off alcohol. Then reduce heat to medium for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add butter and lemon and shake back and forth until butter is incorporated into the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Plate fish on a serving platter with roasted leeks placed around the perimeter of the fish. Spoon tomato, olive and caper sauce around leeks and over fish. Sprinkle with additional minced oregano, basil or flat-leaf parsley and serve.