Description
Baked cod nestled in spring vegetables- asparagus, fennel, leeks, drizzled with olive oil garlic and lemon zest! Bakes in just 12 minutes! Delicious and easy!
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/2 lbs cod – or sub black cod, halibut, sea bass… etc.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- zest from one lemon
- —–
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced ( or sub celery and more asparagus)
- 1 large leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced into half moons
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon (or sub zest from another lemon)
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth or stock, more as needed
- 1/2 cup white wine (or sub more broth and a squeeze of lemon)
- generous pinch salt and pepper
- 1 large bunch asparagus, cut into 1–2 inch pieces, tough ends removed.
Serve this on its own for a low-carb dinner, or serve with creamy polenta, basmati rice, everyday quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
Instructions
Preheat oven 400F
Cut cod into 4 pieces and pat dry. Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, thyme and zest and toss to coat well. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in an oven-proof skillet, cast iron skillet or dutch oven. Add fennel and saute 5-7 minutes, stirring, cooking until just tender. Add leeks and garlic and continue cooking, stirring until leeks are golden and tender. Add lemon zest, fresh thyme, broth and white wine. Stir in salt and pepper, simmer on medium-low heat until liquid has reduced by half, and fennel is nice and tender, about 5 minutes.
If fennel needs a bit longer, add another splash of broth and cover pan for a few minutes, letting it steam and get tender. Once fennel is tender, add the asparagus, give a stir and cook for 2 more minutes- until asparagus turns bright green. If the mixture seems dry, add another splash of broth- you want this slightly wet ( ¼-inch liquid in the bottom of the pan).
Nestle in the fish in the pan, scraping out any excess marinade over the fish. Bake in the oven until fish is cooked through 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness.
Divide among four bowls. Top with a sprig of thyme and lemon wedge.
Serve this on its own for a low-carb dinner, or serve with basmati rice, everyday quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
Enjoy!
Notes
If you like a crispy golden crust on the fish, feel free to dredge in a little flour or bread crumbs and pan-sear the fish first before finishing it off in the oven.
TIP If your fish has skin on it…. marinate, then pan-sear the skin side of the fish in a separate hot skillet, until the skin is crispy. Set aside, then nestle the fish with crispy skin, facing UP. Eat the skin- it is delicious.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 5.2 g
- Sodium: 521.5 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.6 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 28.5 g
- Cholesterol: 66.1 mg
