Mediterranean Baked Fish
Try this Mediterranean baked fish to add more fish to your diet—fish filets are baked in a wonderful Mediterranean combination of tomatoes, olives, spinach, wine, and cream.
- 45 min
- Serves 4
- 15 ingredients
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.
- Add cherry tomatoes and wine, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine, and cook about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in sliced olives, chopped spinach, and cream.
- Nestle fillets into vegetable mixture, sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper, and drizzle remaining olive oil over the entire dish. Brush the olive oil to cover the surface of each fillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
- Serve with hot, cooked pasta or rice, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Frequently asked questions
What fish works best for this recipe?
Any firm white fillet about half an inch thick, such as cod, haddock, halibut or sea bass. The recipe does not name one because the sauce suits most white fish; what matters is even thickness, so the fillets finish together in the 20 to 25 minutes.
Can I make this without wine?
Yes, replace the half cup of dry white wine with fish or vegetable stock and a squeeze of lemon. The wine is there for acidity against the cream, so something sharp needs to take its place or the sauce tastes flat.
Why did my cream sauce split?
Usually heat. The method stirs the cream in off the heat for that reason, and the dish then bakes at a steady 200C rather than boiling. Adding cream to a bubbling pan, or reheating leftovers hard, is what makes it separate.
Can I use frozen fish fillets?
Yes, but thaw them fully and pat them dry, which the ingredient list already asks for. Water clinging to a fillet thins the cream and tomato mixture and stops the top taking any colour.
Can I make this dairy free?
Use a thick unsweetened plant cream, such as oat or soy, in place of the half cup of heavy cream. Choose one sold for cooking, since thinner drinking varieties will not thicken around the fish, and avoid coconut, which takes the dish somewhere else entirely.
What do you serve with Mediterranean baked fish?
Rice or pasta, which is what the method suggests, since there is a good amount of sauce to soak up. Crusty bread and a green salad work just as well if you want it lighter.