Cod with Tomatoes & Capers

This cod with tomatoes and capers is such a simple dish, but it’s beyond delicious. Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

If you’re looking for a tasty new way to serve fish that comes together in a pinch, this is just the ticket. Follow me…

What you’ll need

The awesome thing about this recipe is that you only need a handful of simple, store-bought ingredients. The full quantities are in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick note on each ingredient:

• Cod – You’ll want to use boneless skinless fillets, which you’ll find in all supermarkets and fishmongers.
• Flour – This is seasoned with salt and pepper and will be used to coat the fish (more on this in a sec).
• Butter – For frying the cod and also to create the sauce.
• Oil – This will be used to fry the cod alongside some of the butter.
• Wine – This cuts through the rich, buttery sauce and adds a mellow background flavour. It’s also great for deglazing the pan.
• Stock – Some vegetable stock will help create the sauce.
• Parsley – I love loads of fresh parsley with this recipe, both in the sauce and to garnish.
• Garlic – Adds flavour and pairs amazingly with the tomatoes and capers.
• Capers – The salty, vinegary flavour of capers pairs beautifully with fish.
• Tomatoes – These add little bursts of sweetness that balance out the salty, tangy flavours in the sauce. You’ll want to use cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoes.

Pan-Fried Cod

Before you do anything, I recommend using kitchen roll/paper towels to pat the cod dry and remove excess moisture. Excess moisture is going to prevent you from getting a nice golden crust. It will also cause the pan to ‘spit’ at you, which is never fun.

Dredging the cod through flour

Coating the cod in a thin layer of flour is important for two reasons:

• It helps the cod build up a light, crispy crust.
• It absorbs the sauce and helps it cling to the cod, instead of sliding right off it.

From there, we’re going to fry the cod in a combination of butter and oil; the butter adds a rich flavour, whilst the oil helps prevent the butter from burning. You’ll want to use a non-stick pan – cod is very delicate and can break apart if it sticks to the pan.

Process shots: add cod to seasoned flour (photo 1), coat then shake excess (photo 2), add to butter and oil (photo 3), fry both sides then remove (photo 4).

Tomato and Caper Sauce

The base of the sauce starts with the leftover butter and oil from the cod. Alongside the capers and garlic, I like to fry the parsley stalks too (just to reduce waste and add more flavour to the sauce).

Reducing the wine

When you add the wine, it’s really important to simmer it right down, almost until it has evaporated. This will burn off the alcohol and prevent the sauce from being too bitter.

Thickening the sauce

For this recipe, I love to coat the butter in the leftover flour and whisk it into the stock. This creates a light, glossy sauce that coats the cod perfectly. It’s a much easier method than creating a roux.

Process shots: fry capers, garlic and parsley stalks (photo 1), reduce wine then add stock (photo 2), toss butter in leftover flour (photo 3) add to sauce (photo 4), whisk to melt and bind with sauce (photo 5), stir in tomatoes and parsley (photo 6).

How to serve Cod with Tomatoes & Capers

I like to add the cod back into the pan momentarily, just to coat it in the sauce and very gently warm it back through. From there, I love to finish with loads of fresh parsley!

To serve, I typically just serve with some warm, crusty bread. Rice or mash also work nicely. If you want some more veg I recommend green beans or asparagus!

For more delicious cod recipes check out my Garlic Butter Cod and Simple Pan-Fried Cod!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cod with tomatoes and capers shall we?!

How to make Cod with Tomatoes and Capers (Full Recipe & Video)