Mediterranean Baked White Fish
Flaky white fish baked under a bright, chunky topping of cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, garlic, and herbs, served alongside fluffy couscous. One of the easiest dinners for a busy weeknight.
- 3 lb white fish fillet, cod or halibut
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 ounces pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 6 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- 4 teaspoons oregano
- Couscous
- 1 box couscous, your choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush a 9 1/2 x 13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil and set the fish inside it in a single layer.
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides — patting it dry first helps the seasoning stick and keeps the fish from steaming instead of roasting.
- Squeeze the lemon juice evenly over the top of the fish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, halved olives, chopped red onion, minced garlic, thyme, and oregano. Season with a little extra salt and pepper, then add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss everything together until well coated.
- Spoon the tomato and olive mixture evenly over the seasoned fish, letting some spill into the pan around it.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish, until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and let it rest for a minute or two before serving.
- While the fish bakes, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan for the couscous. Stir in the optional salt and the tablespoon of olive oil, then add the couscous and any included spice packet. Cover and remove from the heat, letting it stand for 5 minutes.
- Fluff the couscous lightly with a fork just before serving, and plate it alongside the baked fish and its tomato-olive topping.
Chef's Note: Patting the fish completely dry before seasoning makes a real difference in how it bakes — any surface moisture left behind steams off first, which can leave the fish a little waterlogged instead of properly roasted. The tomato and olive topping does double duty, seasoning the fish as it bakes while also creating a light, briny pan sauce that's worth spooning over the couscous.
This comes together almost entirely hands-off once the fish is in the oven, which makes it a genuinely easy weeknight dinner despite looking like more effort went into it. Halibut holds up a little firmer than cod if you prefer a meatier bite, but either works beautifully with this topping.
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