Name: Lemon-Herb Cod with Crispy Garlic Potatoes for Two
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 (8-ounce) russet potatoes , unpeeled, sliced ¼ inch thick (about 18 slices); 2 garlic cloves , minced; Salt and pepper; 2 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets , 1 to 1½ inches thick; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , cut into ¼-inch pieces; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; ½ lemon , sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

For potatoes that would cook through quickly, we sliced russet potatoes thin, tossed them with oil and garlic, and shingled them into two piles in a greased baking dish. We roasted the potatoes until they were spotty brown and tender, then added the cod fillets—topped with pieces of butter, sprigs of thyme, and slices of lemon—and slid it all back into the oven. After just 15 more minutes, we had a perfect dinner of moist, subtly flavored cod and crispy, garlicky potatoes.

Before You Begin

Try to purchase cod fillets that are similar in size so that they cook at the same rate. If the fillets are much thinner than 1 inch, simply fold them over to make them thicker. Halibut and haddock are good substitutes for the cod.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil.

Toss potatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon 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. Roast cod and potatoes until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, about 15 minutes.

Slide spatula underneath potatoes and fillets and gently transfer to individual plates. Serve.