lentil tomato and olive baked cod with lemon caper vinaigrette

Quick & Easy

Lentil Tomato & Olive Baked Cod with Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

It’s always great to have a couple of impressive dinner dishes that you can throw together for a party or feed to a crowd without having to do a lot of dishes. This baked fish recipe is perfect for an impromptu gathering. It’s basically a one-dish meal—everything (including cooking the lentils) is done in one pan. You can switch up the cod for whatever fish is local and in season, keeping in mind the cooking time might change depending on the thickness of the fish, so check it accordingly while cooking.

Ingredients

1/2 cup black lentils
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
4 to 6 six-ounce cod fillets (or other thick white fish), skin removed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup lemon-caper vinaigrette (below), for serving
1 tablespoon rinsed capers, minced
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

For the vinaigrette, put the capers, shallots, garlic, mustards, lemon juice, parsley, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl and whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving, to allow the flavors to develop. This will keep for about 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put the lentils, tomatoes, olives, scallions, and lemon into a baking dish and pour the vegetable broth over the top, making sure the lentils are submerged. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked al dente and the tomatoes are tender. Remove the dish from the oven.
Pat the fish dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper, and add the fillets to the dish so they fit snuggly among the lentils and veggies. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and opaque. Serve immediately with a drizzle of the lemon-caper vinaigrette.