Spetses is one of the Greek islands and a place I visited many years ago.  I love Greek food and I still remember this cod dish I had in Spetses which I have recreated often for weeknights with my family and dinners with friends. The recipe is written to serve 4, but you can easily increase to 6 if you can fit that number of filets in the skillet.  I am using cod here which is very commonly used in Mediterranean areas, but you can use halibut or whatever thicker white fish you have access to. I originally had the dish with zucchini, but I have swapped in fennel because it’s in season right now.  Definitely try it with zucchini in the summer!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• light and delicious
• easy and quick
• simple enough for a weeknight, but elegant enough for company
• swap in your favorite fish filets or slabs of tofu or large cooked legumes, if you don’t eat seafood

Ingredients

• Cod filet – is a mild white fish that is commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine. I buy wild cod frozen from Costco. You can use halibut instead or another thicker white fish you have access to. 
• Onion – is a staple ingredient when I cook. I use a thinly sliced onion in this recipe. 
• Fennel bulb – has a subtle licorice flavor. You don’t use the fennel stalks/fronds, only the bulb, but you can save those scraps for making veggie stock. 
• Garlic – I use garlic in almost every recipe. It’s so good and good for you! I even keep a jar of peeled garlic (that I do myself) in the fridge to use throughout the week. 
• Oregano – is a commonly used herb in the Mediterranean. You can use fresh or dried here. Just remember that when you use dried herbs, you use 1/3 of what the fresh measurement is. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of fresh, use 1 teaspoon of dried. 
• Tomatoes – I like to use fresh tomatoes when they’re in season in the summer. Otherwise, I always keep jars of crushed or diced tomatoes on hand. I like Jovial since they’re organic and packaged in glass.
• Olives – I love olives! Kalamata are great here, either whole (pitted) or chopped, but if you’re not a fan of olives, you can omit them or use half the amount of capers or frozen/defrosted artichoke hearts or from a jar.  I generally seek out already pitted olives. Big time saver and more pleasant to eat.
• White wine – I use a dry white wine like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc. It does not need to be expensive!
• Feta – I prefer using a sheep or goat’s milk feta. For best flavor and quality, do not buy cow feta or pre-crumbled feta. I found a 28-ounce box of organic sheep feta at Costco.
• Parsley – I like to garnish dishes with fresh herbs. Flat leaf parsley, mint, or dill (or a combo of these herbs) go well with this dish.

How to make it? 

1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat a large (anything from 11 to 14 inches) skillet over medium heat. Add oil and if it shimmers, add onion and fennel. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, olives (if using) and wine and bring to a simmer.
3. Nestle the cod into the skillet and spoon some sauce over each piece. Allow the sauce to come back to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. If you want to add feta, sprinkle it over the fish now. Cover the skillet.
4. Cook until the cod flakes, about 8-10 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning and serve garnished with herbs. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil if you like (I do!) and serve lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Tips 

• You’ll need to cover the skillet at some point, so if you don’t have a lid, use a piece of foil or a baking sheet. 
• This recipe is written to serve 4, but you can easily increase to 6 if you can fit that number of filets in the skillet. 
• If you choose a thinner fish, it will cook more quickly.
• Don’t add the fish until you’re ready to eat. The fish will continue to cook in the skillet even off the heat and can overcook very easily!

Substitutions

• Olives – If you’re not a fan of olives, just omit them. You can add 1/4 cup capers instead. Or add some water-packed artichoke hearts from a jar (or frozen/defrosted)
• Cod – halibut or whatever thicker white fish you have access to. For vegan, simmer slabs of cauliflower and some chickpeas until tender or tofu or giant cooked beans, like Gigantes.
• Fennel – 2 small zucchini’s cut into batons or use zoodles
• Feta – Violife makes a delicious vegan feta or just omit

Other recipes you may like (I love seafood!)

*Cod Acqua Pazza 

*Branzino Fillets with Green Olive and Fennel Tapenade

*Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

*Roasted Fish with Chermoula

*Mediterranean Fish in Parchment

*Miso-Glazed Black Cod

*Parchment Baked Halibut with Cilantro and Lime 

*Grilled Halibut with Watermelon Pico de Gallo

*Spiced Halibut and Lime Skewers

If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a rating and review! Subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes,  updates and things I’m loving lately.  If you enjoy this recipe, I taught it last year in my online class!  Give me an hour a month, and I’ll make you a better, healthier cook!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spetses Braised Cod

Pamela

Print Recipe

Servings 4 , but you can possibly squeeze in an extra piece or two, depending on the pan size

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 4-to-6 ounce skinless cod filets, 1 to 1 ½ inches thick
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion sliced thin
• 1 fennel bulb stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored and sliced thin or 2 small zucchinis in the summer, cut into batons or use zoodles!
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 14.5-ounce can/jar diced tomatoes, drained or 1 pound of fresh tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup Kalamata olives* optional, pitted, either whole or chopped
• ½ cup dry white wine or fish stock
• A few ounces of feta preferably sheep's milk, optional
• 2 Tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley or mint or dill or a combo of these herbs
• Finish if you like with lemon wedges I like to

Instructions

 

• Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat a large (anything from 11 to 14 inches) skillet over medium heat. Add oil and if it shimmers, add onion and fennel. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, olives (if using) and wine and bring to a simmer.
• Nestle the cod into the skillet and spoon some sauce over each piece. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and reduce heat to medium low. If you want to add feta, sprinkle it over the fish now. Cover the skillet.
• Cook until the cod flakes, about 8-10 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning and serve garnished with herbs. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil if you like (I do!) and serve lemon wedges on the side, if desired.

Notes

*If you’re not a fan of olives, just omit them. You can add ¼ cup capers instead. Or add some water-packed artichoke hearts from a jar (or frozen/defrosted.)

Vegan: simmer slabs of cauliflower and some chickpeas until tender; Violife makes a delicious vegan feta.

You’ll need to cover the skillet at some point, so if you don’t have a lid, use a piece of foil or a baking sheet.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!