Baked Cod with Crispy Potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 (8-oz) russet potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 18 slices)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 (6 to 8-oz) skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
- 1 tbsp butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 lemon, sliced thin
- optional: handful of cherry tomatoes
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425. Brush 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp oil.
Toss potatoes with remaining 1 tbsp oil and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Shingle potatoes into baking dish in 2 rectangular piles measuring 4 by 6 inches. Roast potatoes until spotty brown and just tender, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through roasting.
Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Carefully place 1 fillet, skinned side down, on top of each potato pile. Top fillets with butter pieces, thyme sprigs, and lemon slices. Sprinkle cherry tomatoes on top if desired. Roast cod and potatoes until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, 10-15 minutes.
Slide spatula underneath potatoes and fillets and gently transfer to individual plates.
Serves 2.