Crisp and tender elegant Baked Cod Harissa with roasted veggies!

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Baked Cod Harissa is so easy yet elegant that it’s perfect for date nights, quick dinner, or dinner parties. It takes less than an hour, looks very impressive, and tastes as if it came out of the kitchen of a fancy restaurant. The yogurt and harissa sauce goes well with the cod and the roasted veggies. Plus, it provides a giant punch of flavor! I can’t wait to hear how much your date loves it.

Perfect for date night

Buttery crisp panko
Tender harissa spiced cod
Perfectly roasted veggies
A delicious and easy dinner elegant enough to impress a date or a house full of guests!

Full of flavor

Cod fillets
Plain yogurt
Harissa –my favorite is homemade or Mina Harissa Mild sauce
Olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
Panko Bread crumbs –unseasoned, so you control the seasoning
Butter –melted salted or unsalted
Dried thyme or oregano
Potatoes –thinly sliced to cook
Bell peppers –use a variety of colors for depth of flavor and
Onion –use what you have. Red, white, yellow, or even leeks will be good.
Capers or pitted and chopped Kalamata olives.
Garnish: lemon wedges and fresh chopped parsley

Substitute for Cod

I find cod to be a great affordable fish option. It’s mild in flavor, healthy, and flakes apart when it’s done cooking. However, any white fish would work as an alternative. Try haddock, tilapia, Pollock, or striped bass. Salmon would even work well. Let me know what you like best!

Spinach & Salmon Phyllo Parcels: Greek-Spanakopita Salmon

How to make Baked Cod Harissa

Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.
Combine the yogurt and harissa in a bowl and add the thyme with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Place the fish in a pan and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Pour the yogurt harissa sauce over the fish, toss to coat, and set aside.
Place the veggies (potatoes, onion, and bell peppers) in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Place the fish on top of the veggies and pour over the marinade.
In a bowl, stir together the panko breadcrumbs along with the butter and thyme—season with salt and pepper.
Then, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Top the fish with the breadcrumb mixture.
Sprinkle the capers around the fish and bake on the center rack for 15-20 minutes.
Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley and serve.

Serving

I love to sprinkle scallions or parsley over the entire dish just before serving. It gives it a pop of freshness and adds to the elegance. You‘ll have a complete meal of panko harissa cod with veggies and potatoes, but I would still serve it with a nice side salad or bowl of soup. If you prefer, try Mediterranean rice pilaf or couscous. Whatever your date likes, serve that! Here are some of my favorite things to serve with it:

More Fish Recipes:

Baked Cod Harissa

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cod fillets
4 tablespoons plain yogurt
6 tablespoons harissa or to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup (100g) Panko Bread crumbs, unseasoned
3-4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 teaspoons capers or chopped and pitted Kalamata olives.
Garnish: lemon wedges and fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.

Combine the yogurt and harissa together in a bowl. Add the thyme and some salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Place the fish in a pan and season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Pour the yogurt harissa sauce over the fish. Toss to coat and set aside.

Place the veggies (potatoes, onion, and bell peppers) in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Place the fish and all of the marinade over the veggies.

Combine the panko breadcrumbs along with the butter and thyme in a bowl and mix together. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Top the fish with the breadcrumb mixture.

Sprinkle the capers around the fish and bake on the center rack for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley and serve. Kali Orexi!