I’ve been on a diet for months now; I haven’t reached my target weight yet, but I have certainly spent a lot of money, as I need to eat fish at least four times a week. It might sound simple, but for boiled fish to be palatable, it has to be of top-notch quality—and since I don’t have a grill at home, I’ve had to get creative to make meals that are more budget-friendly without being boring. I don’t have many restrictions regarding seasonings, so I make this dish quite often—it really makes the cod delicious.

Cod au Gratin Mediterranean style

  • Preparation time: 20 minutes + oven
  • Ingredients for 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 800 grams of fresh cod fillets
  • 100 grams of breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons confit tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon capers (in oil)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Rinse the cod fillets thoroughly and dry them with paper towels.
  3. Wash the parsley well. Finely chop it with a knife, along with the garlic, capers, and confit tomatoes.
  4. In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, a generous tablespoon of olive oil, and the chopped mixture of parsley, capers, and tomatoes. Mix well until everything is evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease it with olive oil, then place the cod fillets on top.
  7. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over each fillet, pressing it down firmly with your hands. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  8. Bake at 220°C (400°F) for about twenty-five minutes, or until the topping is beautifully golden brown.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • Use homemade breadcrumbs. Take some stale bread, remove the crusts, and pulse it in a food processor. If you like, you can season the breadcrumbs with any herbs or spices you prefer.
  • You can find the recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes here. If you don’t have any, you can use sun-dried tomatoes instead—though the flavor will be slightly different. If using sun-dried tomatoes, first rehydrate them in hot water, then drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop them; you will also need to add more oil to the breadcrumb mixture.
  •  Oven cooking times are only a guide, as every oven performs differently. If you prefer a crispier finish, you can switch to the broiler (grill) setting for the final few minutes of cooking.