Fresh baked white fish is absolutely delicious and one of my favourite things to eat! When taken out of the oven and piping hot, the fish flakes into mouthwatering, silky chunks. When I first moved to Berlin I was a little disappointed to find that there was a lack of fresh fish in the supermarkets. But that was back in 2008 and German supermarkets have significantly improved since then! After a few years living in Berlin I started to realise that I was approaching German supermarkets in the wrong way. OK, you couldn’t buy pots of hummus back then (a student lunch time staple of mine) but in return Berlin has plenty of Turkish or Middle Eastern deli’s that sell this freshly made. And I am not sure why I was ever concerned that it was difficult to find sliced bread because there is certainly no shortage of fresh, baked bread in Germany! And when it did come into the supermarkets the Germans called it ‘toast bread’, because what else would you use processed, thin and floppy pieces of bread for? These days I actually appreciate German supermarkets! I like buying food that is in season and walking down the aisles of fresh cheese and cured hams. And more importantly, I like having access to a wide range of European food. The continental aisle in Sainsbury’s does not count. Saying that, you still can’t beat proper British bacon, pork pies and cadburys!
But the one thing I really still miss is being able to buy fresh fish. It has improved but it is still quite limited. Galeria Kaufhof’s food hall has a very good fish deli that serves a wide range of fresh fish such as squid, octopus, salmon, cod, prawns, langoustines and scaloops but it is quite expensive. Our local Rewe does have a fridge section with fresh cod or salmon but they only have a small supply and is often empty.
When I do get my hands on some fresh cod then I love to make this Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Olives. It is such a simple meal yet tastes delicious. I finely chop some tomatoes and mix with chillies, paprika, tomato puree and lemon juice. I then mix in some sliced black olives and capers and spread on top of the pieces of white fish and bake for around 15 minutes. Serve with some potatoes and green beans on the side!
- 2 white fish fillets (I use cod)
- 3 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
- 70g black olives (if with stones then remove these, and sliced)
- 2 tbpsn capers
- Juice of half a lemon
- Half a lemon (cut into slices)
- 1 tpsn smoked paprika
- 1 red chilli (finely sliced)
- 1 tbpsn tomato puree
- Few leaves of fresh basil (finely chopped)
- Few leaves of fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive oil
- Preheat the oven to fan 180C/200C/gas 6.
- In a roasting try lay out the lemon slices and then put the white fish on top.
- In a mixing bowl add the tomatoes, chilli, olives and capers. Mix together. Then add the tomato puree, paprika and lemon juice. Giving everything another good mix and then stir in the fresh basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top the pieces of cod with the tomato mixture. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and then bake in the oven for around 15 mins until the fish is cooked.
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