Alaska Cod Provençale and Vegetable Ratatouille

Alaska Cod Provençale and Vegetable Ratatouille

Confession: I have never been to Provence. But I have eaten this cod, and I'm pretty sure that counts.

This recipe comes from Chef Vitaly Paley, and it's everything I love about cooking fish at home. Wild Alaska cod gets a quick sear, then bakes in a pan full of olives, fennel, lemon, garlic and cherry tomatoes. On the side: a salty, punchy olive relish and a big pan of roasted ratatouille.

It's the last of summer's zucchini and tomatoes meeting the best fish from the North Pacific. Pour a glass of rosé. Grab some crusty bread. We're going to the south of France without leaving the kitchen.

Why This Recipe Works

• Cod is the perfect canvas. Its mild, flaky white flesh soaks up big Provençal flavors without getting lost in them.
• Briny meets bright. Olives, capers and anchovies bring the salt. Lemon, fennel and tomatoes keep it fresh.
• Most of it can be made ahead. The relish keeps a day in the fridge, and the ratatouille tastes even better after a few days. On the night, the cod takes about 25 minutes.
• It's dinner-party pretty. Serve it family style on a big platter and let everyone dig in.

Serves: 4 · Prep: 30 minutes · Cook: about 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the summer vegetable ratatouille

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
• 1 small green zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 small yellow summer squash, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 3 ripe Roma tomatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper

For the olive relish

• 1 cup pitted green olives, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup pickled sweet peppers (such as Mama Lil's), drained
• 1 Tbsp capers, drained
• 3 anchovy fillets
• ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence

For the cod

• 20 oz wild Alaska cod, thawed and cut into 4 equal pieces
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• ⅓ cup pitted green olives, thinly sliced
• 1 small spring onion or 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• ½ fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• ½ lemon, seeded and thinly sliced
• 10 ripe cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Make the ratatouille

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sauté the red pepper with a pinch of salt until it starts to brown, then move it to a roasting pan.
3. Repeat with the zucchini, then the yellow squash, then the onion, then the eggplant, adding a little fresh oil each time. Cook each vegetable on its own so it browns instead of steaming.
4. Add the garlic, thyme and tomatoes to the roasting pan. Drizzle with the remaining oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss.
5. Roast for about 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes, until the juices have cooked off and just a slick of oil remains.
6. Stir in the basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Make the olive relish

1. Add the olives, olive oil, pickled peppers, capers, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes and herbes de Provence to a food processor.
2. Pulse 10 times, scrape down the sides, then pulse 5 more times. You want it chunky, not smooth.
3. Refrigerate until serving.

Cook the cod

1. Keep the oven at 400°F.
2. Pat the cod dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the cod and sear without moving it for 1 minute.
4. Scatter the olives, spring onion, fennel, lemon, cherry tomatoes, garlic and thyme around the fish. Cook 2 minutes more.
5. Flip the cod and move the skillet to the oven. Bake 8 to 12 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, or reaches 145°F inside.
6. Drizzle with olive oil and top with torn basil. Serve with the relish and ratatouille on the side.

Tips and Swaps

• Get ahead. Make the relish the day before and the ratatouille up to 3 days ahead. Then dinner is just the cod.
• Anchovy-shy? Leave them out. Add a few extra capers for the same salty punch.
• Swap the fish. Rockfish or halibut work beautifully here too.
• Don't toss the leftovers. Spoon leftover ratatouille over pasta, or fold it into scrambled eggs with a little relish on top.

Bring a Little Provence Home

The secret to this dish is simple: great fish. Our wild Alaska cod is caught by people we know, frozen at peak freshness and shipped straight to your door. Mild, flaky and ready for whatever you throw at it. Even France.

[Shop wild Pacific cod →]

Recipe adapted from Chef Vitaly Paley for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.