Mediterranean Baked Fish with Courgettes and Tomatoes
- Savory
- Mediterranean
- Oven
White fish fillets roasted over courgettes and tomatoes until the edges caramelize, finished with lemon juice, olives and capers. A bright, high-protein traybake with no stovetop needed.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 35
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Zesting
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Slice the courgettes into 1 cm rounds and cut the tomatoes into 2 cm wedges. Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then cut the lemon in half.
~10 min
Zesting Grate only the coloured outer peel, stopping before the bitter white pith, and zest before halving so the fruit stays steady.
-
Spread the courgettes and tomatoes on the baking tray in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, season with half the salt and the black pepper, and toss to coat.
~5 min
A single layer lets hot air circulate around each piece, so the vegetables roast and brown instead of steaming in their own moisture.
Roasting Keep vegetables in a single layer with space between them so they brown; crowding traps steam and leaves them pale and soft.
-
Roast the vegetables until the courgettes are tender and the tomato edges begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
~20 min
Roasting drives off water and browns the natural sugars, building a deeper, sweeter flavour base for the fish to sit on.
Roasting Keep vegetables in a single layer with space between them so they brown; crowding traps steam and leaves them pale and soft.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the vegetables roast, pat the white fish fillets dry and season both sides with the remaining salt. Scatter the olives and capers over the roasted vegetables, then nestle the fish on top.
~5 min
Drying the fillets removes surface moisture so the fish browns rather than steams, and salting ahead seasons it through.
Nestling the fish on top of the vegetables rather than underneath keeps it from steaming in their juices, so it browns lightly and stays firm.
-
Brush the fish with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and roast until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes.
~12 min
The oil conducts heat and helps the surface brown, while pulling the fish at the flake stage keeps it moist rather than dry.
Roasting Keep vegetables in a single layer with space between them so they brown; crowding traps steam and leaves them pale and soft.
-
Squeeze the juice of half the lemon over the tray and scatter the lemon zest on top. Serve with the remaining lemon half cut into wedges.
~3 min
Adding the lemon off the heat preserves its bright acidity, which cuts the richness of the oil and balances the briny olives and capers.
Add the lemon juice only after the tray leaves the oven: roasting it dulls the fresh citrus lift you want against the briny olives and capers.
