- 4 skinless cod fillets (about 5 to 6 ounces each), 1-1½ inches thick*
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound leeks (or 2 medium), white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, washed and thinly sliced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 ounces (1 pint) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup dry white wine**
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Optional: lemon wedges for serving, a sprinkle of fresh herbs like basil, parsley and/or thyme
Braised Cod with Tomatoes and Leeks
Yield: 4 servings
Once the veggies are chopped, this one-pan fish dish cooks in 15 minutes and is loaded with flavor. Easy enough for busy weeknights but elegant enough for company!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Pat the cod dry with paper towels, if needed, and lightly season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened and some of the edges are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt and a few good turns of the pepper mill (I use about ¼ teaspoon here), and the wine; bring to a simmer.
- Nestle the fish fillets into skillet and spoon some of the vegetable mixture over top. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. (Helpful hint: if your skillet doesn’t have a lid, carefully crimp a piece of foil over top. When using a standard roll of foil, you’ll have to fold 2 pieces together to completely cover a 12-inch pan.) Cook until the fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness (internal temperature taken with a quick read thermometer should register 140℉; thicker pieces will take longer to cook).
- Carefully transfer the fillets to a platter or individual dinner plates. Stir the butter into vegetables, adjust for seasoning if needed, and sprinkle lightly with optional fresh herbs. If you’d like the tomatoes to further soften, you may cover the skillet and cook for another minute or two. Spoon the vegetables and sauce over the fish and serve. (Helpful hint: if you’re not quite ready to eat, return the fish to the skillet and cover to keep warm for a few minutes. If the wait becomes longer than a few minutes and the dish needs to be warmed, simply return the pan to low heat for a few minutes – just long enough to warm without further cooking the fish.
Tips & Substitutions:
*A mild tasting, flaky white fish, cod is a delightful choice for this recipe. (It also tends to be wild-caught and on the less expensive side.) Other good choices include halibut, tilapia, red snapper, monkfish and sea bass.
**If you aren’t a regular wine drinker or simply prefer not to open a bottle for the half cup called for in this recipe, consider purchasing a 4-pack of mini bottles, which contain 6 ounces each, to have on hand. (Just make sure you like the taste of whatever you use!) Optionally, you may use chicken broth instead of wine. In this case, I also add 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar (could try lemon juice) to mimic the touch of acidity in the wine.
**For an inexpensive mini-bottle option, I like Sutter Homes Pinot Grigio. Chardonnay would work well for those who enjoy that flavor.