Pan Seared Cod with Blistered Tomatoes

this recipe

Do you remember in March how excited I was about planting our very first garden?

With our first full summer living in our very first house with our own fairly large yard we could not wait to plant a little herb/veggie garden. Paul and I had visions of walking out our back door to pick fresh tomatoes and strawberries. Once spring arrived we began observing a spot in the yard where the sun would generously give our little garden plenty of light. We found the perfect spot. It had an area that was already tilled, and got plenty of sun. We got to work straight away, planting all sorts of herbs and veggies. We tried to keep it small; we didn’t want to overdo it on our first try. All that was left to do was wait for things to grow.

As spring was in full swing the trees began to bloom. Our stomachs sank as we noticed that there is a huge tree right behind our garden, stealing most of the sun from our plants. I mean, seriously how did we not notice that huge tree right there?

Gardening tip number 1: always make sure there isn’t a tree that will give your garden shade. Duh!

Paul and I hoped that the plants would get just enough sun to continue growing. Some plants did okay and others didn’t really make it at all. A few things that made it were rhubarb, exhibits A and B . The mint grew really well, but no surprise there.

The tomatoes that we were looking forward to eating fresh off the vine never grew; neither did the bell peppers, or the strawberries, or the raspberries. Poor sad little garden didn’t even get a chance to grow up.

Oh well, I guess we will try again next year. Lesson learned.

So, as you glance at these photos of beautiful cherry and grape tomatoes, they are not from my garden, but we can pretend. They are store-bought, but just as delicious. The basil, however, the basil is fresh picked from my garden! Good for you little basil! You made it!

Pan Seared Cod with Blistered Tomatoes is inspired by end-of-the-summer-garden-fresh foods. No worries, if you had a black thumb this year like I did, you can still make this dish from store-bought ingredients. It’s okay; I did it too!

What I love about Pan Seared Cod with Blistered Tomatoes is that it comes together in one skillet plus a food processor. Who needs more dishes anyway? It’s super easy to make and it’s a meal-in-one, my fave kind of meal.

I know you too will love Pan Seared Cod with Blistered Tomatoes. The tender fish is surrounded by jammy (yup jammy is a word now) tomatoes and sweet caramelized onions. It is all topped with some homemade basil pesto that is bursting with freshness.

If you make this recipe, let me know how you like it. Leave a comment below and rate it. It’s helpful for other readers and I love hearing what you have to say. Enjoy, my friends.

Pan Seared Cod with Blistered Tomatoes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Emily Koch
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Entree, Fish/Seafood
• Cuisine: Gluten-Free

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

Pan Seared Cod with Blistered Tomatoes is a 1-pan meal that is easy to make. It is gluten-free and uses garden-fresh ingredients.

---

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• FOR THE CARAMELIZED ONIONS:
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1 yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• FOR THE BASIL PESTO:
• 2 cups basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pine nuts
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• FOR THE BLISTERED TOMATOES:
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes and/or grape tomatoes (I used a mix of red, orange, and yellow tomatoes)
• Salt and pepper
• FOR THE SEARED COD:
• 4 cod fillets, patted dry (could also sub tilapia, or any other white fish)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. FOR THE CARAMELIZED ONIONS:
2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and allow it to heat for a minute. Add the sliced onion and the sprinkle of salt. Spread the onions out in an even layer. Sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally. The onions should considerably reduce in size and turn a tan color. Be careful not to let them burn in the end. Two minutes before the onions are done add the garlic, Sauté for 2 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized and the garlic is fragrant remove them from the skillet and set aside.
3. FOR THE BASIL PESTO:
4. While the onions are caramelizing make your pesto. To a food processor add the basil, garlic, sunflower seeds, and Parmesan cheese. Pulse the ingredients until they are mostly chopped. Through the spigot of your food processor stream in the olive oil until you have reached your desired consistency. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
5. Set the pesto aside.
6. FOR THE BLISTERED TOMATOES:
7. Once the onions have been caramelized and removed, turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high. Give it a minute to heat the skillet up. Add the grapeseed oil and allow it to heat for a minute.
8. Then add the tomatoes. Spread them out into an even layer so that each tomato is touching the skillet (you may need to work in batches depending on the side of your skillet). Allow them to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until most of the tomatoes have blistered.
9. Turn the tomatoes on the unblistered side and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until most of the tomatoes have blistered on the opposite side. Some tomatoes may burst; that’s okay. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Remove the tomatoes from the pan.
11. FOR THE SEARED COD:
12. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium heat. If the pan looks dry add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil.
13. Season each cod fillet with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned side of the fillet down in the pan. Season the side that is facing up in the pan with salt and pepper. Cook the fillets for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on how thick your fillet is. The fish should be brown on each side, tender in texture and opaque in color.
14. Turn off the heat. Move the cod fillets to one side. Add the blistered tomatoes and caramelized onions back to the pan. Stir them up and allow them to heat up again.
15. Serve over cooked quinoa, rice, buckwheat, or fresh greens. Also serve with the basil pesto on the side for spooning over the fish and mixing in with the tomatoes.

---

Recipe Card powered by