Name: Sheet-Pan Lemon-Herb Cod Fillets with Crispy Garlic Potatoes
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds russet potatoes , unpeeled, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus 3 tablespoons cut into ¼-inch pieces; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 4 sprigs fresh thyme , plus 1 teaspoon minced; Salt and pepper; 4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless cod fillets , 1 to 1½ inches thick; 1 lemon , thinly sliced

Why This Recipe Works

Seeking to avoid overcooking the fish, we used our russet potatoes as a bed to shield them from the direct heat of the pan. Rather than just pile them onto the pan, we thinly sliced the potatoes; tossed them with melted butter, garlic, and thyme for plenty of flavor; and shingled them in four individual portions for an attractive presentation. After shaping our potato rectangles, we roasted them for 30 minutes, which gave the spuds a crisp, browned exterior and removed excess moisture. We then laid a cod fillet on top of each. To highlight the fish's clean flavor and keep things easy, we topped each fillet with a small pat of butter, a sprig of fresh thyme, and a couple thin slices of lemon (which would add to the appealing look of the dish). We slid our pan back into the oven, where the dry heat melted the butter, basting the fish and drawing the herbal and citrus flavors through the fillets and down over the potatoes. After another 15 minutes, this simple yet striking dish was ready to serve.

Before You Begin

You can substitute skinless haddock or halibut for the cod.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes with melted butter, garlic, minced thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Shingle potatoes into four 6 by 4-inch rectangular piles on rimmed baking sheet.

Roast until spotty brown and just tender, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.

Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay 1 cod fillet, skinned side down, on top of each potato pile and top with butter pieces, thyme sprigs, and lemon slices. Bake until cod flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, about 15 minutes.

Remove sheet from oven. Slide spatula underneath potatoes and cod and gently transfer to individual plates. Serve.