Creamy Baked Haddock with Spinach and Tomatoes
Tender haddock fillets baked over a bed of spinach and tomatoes in a garlicky cream sauce, finished under the broiler until the top is golden and bubbling. A comforting one-dish dinner that stays creamy without a stovetop.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 30
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Seasoning in layers · Roasting
- Savory
- Creamy
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Pat the haddock fillets dry with paper towel and season both sides with half the salt and the black pepper.
~5 min
Drying the fish removes surface moisture so it bakes firm rather than steaming, and seasoning early lets salt penetrate.
Seasoning in layers Season each component separately, fish, spinach, and sauce, so the final dish is evenly seasoned. Taste as you go; under-salting early is hard to fix later.
-
Slice the tomatoes into 1 cm rounds. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Toss the spinach with the olive oil and remaining salt in the baking dish.
~5 min
Seasoning in layers Season each component separately, fish, spinach, and sauce, so the final dish is evenly seasoned. Taste as you go; under-salting early is hard to fix later.
-
Lay the tomato slices over the spinach, then scatter the sliced garlic on top. Pour 80 ml cream evenly over the vegetables.
~3 min
The cream will look thin when it goes in but thickens as the spinach releases water and the fish juices mingle; do not add extra cream.
Seasoning in layers Season each component separately, fish, spinach, and sauce, so the final dish is evenly seasoned. Taste as you go; under-salting early is hard to fix later.
-
Set the seasoned haddock fillets on top of the vegetables and spoon a little of the cream from the dish over each fillet.
~2 min
Spooning cream over the fillets keeps the exposed fish moist and encourages even browning.
-
Bake uncovered until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and the cream is bubbling at the edges, about 20 minutes.
~20 min
Haddock is done when it turns opaque and flakes; overcooking makes it dry and rubbery.
If your fillets are thicker than 3 cm, add 3 to 4 minutes of baking time and check doneness by flaking rather than by the clock.
Roasting Roast uncovered so moisture escapes and the top browns. For broiling, keep the rack close but watch constantly to avoid burning.
-
Switch the oven to broil and cook until the top is golden and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch closely so the garlic does not burn.
~5 min
Broiling applies intense top heat for Maillard browning and bubbling, but garlic burns quickly, so watch closely.
Roasting Roast uncovered so moisture escapes and the top browns. For broiling, keep the rack close but watch constantly to avoid burning.