One of the things I’ve grown to love about living in Wisconsin is the changing seasons. We moved here from the West Coast eight years ago, and I still marvel at the transformation each fall. The trees are currently brilliant shades of yellow and red, with leaves swirling through the crisp autumn air. It’s gorgeous.
One thing I haven’t quite embraced? Freshwater fish.
I grew up on Puget Sound in Washington State, then lived in California and Houston, where seafood from the ocean was plentiful. Even when I lived abroad in Germany, the fish came from the sea! My husband has tried his best to convert me to lake fish, and while I enjoy a good local walleye, my taste buds apparently remain loyal to the coast.
Most of the fish I prepare comes frozen from Alaska—which works perfectly for this recipe.
An easy, adaptable seafood dinner
This is one of those dishes I’ve made countless variations of over the years. I’ve typically used canned tomatoes, but with the last of our garden tomatoes ripening, I’ve been making it with fresh ones instead. Roasting them first concentrates their flavor and creates a delicious sauce for the fish.
The basic idea is simple: tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, and a little olive oil, baked together with seafood. The result is savory, briny, and full of flavor, with very little hands-on effort (the oven does most of the work!).
You can make it with cod, halibut, salmon, or just about any other fish you enjoy. I’ve also been known to mix in shrimp or scallops. The olives and capers are flexible, too—adjust the amounts to your liking, and use whatever varieties you have on hand.
Don’t forget the crusty bread. You’ll want something to soak up all those delicious tomato juices!
Tomato-baked fish
Makes 4–5 servings
4–5 fillets of white fish (cod, halibut, or similar)
about 4 c fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped (or one 28-oz can diced tomatoes*)
3 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
2 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ c sliced green olives
2–3 Tbsp capers, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp good balsamic vinegar
Heat oven to 400°F. Combine the chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a baking dish. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.
Remove from the oven and stir in olives and capers, along with the balsamic vinegar. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Season the fish with salt and pepper, then nestle the fillets into the tomato mixture. Spoon some of the tomatoes over the fish and drizzle with a little additional olive oil.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (or reaches 145°F in the thickest part).
Serve immediately, topped with chopped fresh Italian parsley if you have some on hand, and with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce.
A few variations: I’ve made this with halibut, salmon, cod, and cominations of fish and shellfish, including shrimp and scallops. Adjust the cooking time based on the seafood you’re using. Olives and capers are also flexible: this time I used entirely castelvetrano olives, but in the past I’ve used halved kalamatas or a mixture of different varieties.
*If using canned tomatoes, skip the initial roasting step and simply combine the ingredients before adding the fish and then bake at 350°F.
