Mediterranean Baked Fish

Name: Mediterranean Baked Fish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup olive oil; 4 garlic cloves (sliced); 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 1/2 cup baby tomatoes (whole); 4 Pieces of Haddock fillets; 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional); -1 cup Mezzetta Olives (a variety of your choice or just one type); 1/4 cup Mezzetta sliced jalapeños; 2 teaspoons Mezzetta capers (drained)

September 15, 2020 by Mahy, Updated March 23, 2022 48 Comments

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There’s something about baked fish dinners that always wins. They’re easy, quick, light and super delicious! Today’s oven baked fish is loaded with flavors of the Mediterranean and it’s a simplified version of a family classic.

This delicious post is in partnership with my friends at Mezzetta! A family company of speciality Mediterranean foods which will elevate your recipes! Mezzetta makes it Betta!

Before we talk about the baked fish recipe, I just want to share with you the Mezetta products I’ve been loving lately! A variety of olives, peppers and capers.

They’re fresh tasting and come in a variety of flavors to pick from. I love eating them from the jar—just plain! Or with a cheese sandwich, topped over a salad, soup, and even more, I love cooking with them!

BAKED FISH RECIPE

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll notice there’s been a bang around my Grandpa’s recipes. He was quite the creative cook, however he was quite the messy cook too. And because of that, my grandma didn’t allow him in the kitchen.

So the very few recipes I managed to save from him are the ones I make so very often. This baked fish recipe is similar to one he made.

The trick to making his baked fish crispy and succulent at the same time, is to preheat the baking pan (with sauce or just olive oil) before adding the fish.

So while my grandpa used to make a spicy tomato and olive sauce, heat the sauce up in a baking dish then carefully place the fish over the hot sauce before baking. I opted for using fresh tomatoes, whole olives and garlic instead of making them into a sauce.

Another trick is I preheat the baking pan with the olive oil in the oven before adding on my fish and other ingredients. This creates an instant sear on the fish and helps the garlic, olives, herbs and tomatoes flavors burst immediately into the pan!

Now let’s break down this recipe and tips on baking fish so you can make this in a breeze!

OVEN BAKED FISH

There are so many ways to cook fish, like so so many! And while I have plenty of fish recipes here on the blog, you’ll notice the majority of them are either baked or broiled.

Here’s why I love cooking fish in the oven

It’s easy because the oven does all the work for you.
You don’t need to struggle with flipping the fish on a skillet and worry about it sticking or breaking apart (especially fillets).
You can turn baked fish into a saucy fish with just a few ingredients around the fish.
The fish comes out succulent and tender.
It’s versatile and you can play around with herbs, toppings, sauce ingredients to make the dish differently each time.
Any type of fish works (whole or fillet), white fish or salmon or shrimp or any!
You can assemble the dish in advance and keep it i the fridge, and bake it the day you’re serving it.

Now let’s get on to the recipe!

HOW TO BAKE FISH

First of all, start by gathering your ingredients and preheating the oven to 450 degrees F.

You’ll want to get the pan with the olive oil preheating in the oven.

Season the fish with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.

When the pan is heated enough, add in the garlic, herbs, tomatoes and fish.

They will sizzle right away which means the flavors will start to infuse the dish!

Pick your favorite variety of Mezzetta olives and throw them around the fish.

Top the fish with some Mezetta tamed jalapeño slices and capers.

Place the pan back in the oven.

How Long To Bake Fish?

This is probably the most common question I get about baking fish. And the truth is, it depends not he type of fish, the thickness of your fish fillet, the size of it, and also if you’re looking for a sauce in your dish.

Another thing to consider is also if you’re preheating the oven fish like I did today. This helps the fish cook faster.

In general, fish fillets such as these haddock pieces which are about 3/4th of an inch thick and 2 1/2 inch long will cook in 15 minutes in the oven.

A whole salmon fillet (which is also a great choice for this recipe!) will need 30 minutes to cook through.

What is the Best fish for Baking?

I love baking fish and I’ve had success baking all types of fish, from white fillets such as tilapia, haddock, halibut to salmon, to shrimp. Also love baking whole fish (bone in) the same way.

What Temperature do you Bake Fish at?

When you cook fish in the oven you basically have three choices.

You can choose to broil the fish ( broiled salmon recipe here). Boiling is at a high temperature, heat on the top only and very close to the fish. Broiling is the fastest way to cook fish.
You can bake such as today’s recipe and more recipes here. Baking is usually at 350-375 degrees and it’s ideal when you’re creating flavors around the fish such as with today’s ingredients.
And finally you can slow roast. Slow roasting is usually below 350 degrees. so anywhere between 275-325 degrees and this is ideal for super tender fish that you’re afraid to dry out. Slow roasting also creates a fair amount of sauce.

Is it better to bake fish covered or uncovered?

This is a tricky one and will depend on what you’re looking for in your fish. Covering the fish creates a steam within the dish which ensures a super moist environment and hence a super moist fish.

However, the steam environment takes away the crips texture and some of the flavor. So I rarely cover my fish because I love a crips texture and I want the max flavor of fish to shine. Instead, to ensure succulent and tender fish without covering, I keep an eye at the oven and make sure not to overcook my fish.

How to Serve Baked Fish?

My best tip once the fish is out of the oven is to grab that flavor packed olive oil around the fish and drizzle it over and over the fish.

This is the olive oil loaded with garlic, herbs, tomatoes and Mezzetta olives! Imagine the flavors!

Keep on drizzling that oil and use a nice crusty baguette to mop it from the dish! It’s really so so good!

Also you can serve this Mediterranean dish with a side of rice, pasta, or even salad. It’s a dinner favroite and crowd pleaser! Make this for a crowd —it’s such a fun way to entertain!

Since you’re all loving this recipe, try this Baked Fish Recipe as well! SO GOOD!

TIPS FOR OVEN BAKED FISH

Preheat the baking dish for quicker cooking.
Infuse flavors in your fish and baking dish by using quality products such as Mezzetta!
Start off the fish at high temperature and then drop the temperature to ensure the fish cooks all the way through and remains moist.
If you want melt in your mouth fish, cover the dish with foil. However you won’t have a crispy texture.
Once the fish is out, drizzle the flavor packed olive oil over the fish and serve with crusty bread!
To prepare the dish in advance, you’ll need to assemble everything (without preheating the pan) and place it in the fridge until ready to bake. Bake the pan for an extra 10 minutes.
ENJOY!!

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