30-Minute Cod with Lemony Braised Fennel

4.40 (20)
⏱ 22 mins 🍽 Serves 4 🏷 Main course

This main course delivers a complete meal in under 30 minutes. Cod fillets are gently simmered atop wedges of fennel that have been browned and braised until tender. The dish is finished with a bright splash of lemon juice, chopped olives, and a fragrant, crispy topping of toasted breadcrumbs mixed with lemon zest and fennel fronds.

30-Minute Cod with Lemony Braised Fennel

Ingredients

  • 2 large bulbs fennel
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Four 6-ounce cod fillets, each 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

Method

  1. Prepare the fennel by trimming the tops and bottoms, saving some fronds for later. Quarter each bulb, remove most of the core from each quarter, and slice them into 1-inch thick wedges.
  2. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large, lidded skillet. Once the oil is nearly smoking, add the fennel and cook without moving it for about 5 minutes until the bottom browns. Stir and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the skillet, scraping the bottom. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper and lay them on the fennel. Cover the skillet again and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, adding a little water if needed, until the fish is cooked and the fennel is soft.
  5. While the fish cooks, chop the saved fennel fronds and zest the lemon. In a separate pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and toast the panko breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Season them, let them cool, then mix in the fronds and lemon zest.
  6. Juice the lemon and roughly chop the kalamata olives.
  7. Once the cod and fennel are ready, stir the lemon juice and olives into the skillet. Take it off the heat and let it sit for about 1 minute. Serve the fennel and cod in bowls, spooning the breadcrumb mixture over the fish and drizzling with any pan juices.

Nutrition (per serving)

Nutrition data not available.

Recipe details

CategoryMain course
AuthorFood Network Kitchens