Marcela Valladolid's Baked Cod with Olives and Limes

Photograph by Zachary Popovsky

A Recipe:  Marcela Valladolid's Baked Cod with Olives and Limes

by Victoria Challancin

In March of 2010 I worked in Los Angeles as Culinary Producer for Marcela Valladolid's Season II of the Mexican Made Easy show for Food Network.  One of the things I did was to test recipes for the show.  Marcela's recipes are usually as lively and fun as she is and this baked cod recipe is no exception.

You might wonder that this obviously Mediterranean-inspired recipe would appear on a Mexican cooking show, but remember that in Baja, where Marcela grew up, Mediterranea ingredients frequently appear in modern interpretations of traditional Mexican food on menus throughout Baja.

A slightly different version appears on page 105 of Marcela's book Fresh Mexico. Here the chef adds thinly slices anchovies to the olives, uses fewer capers, and less oil.  Both versions work well and offer a quick, healthy, and easy to prepare dinner that can be put on the table in less than twenty minutes.

Marcela's unique take on Mexican cuisine shines in this book, which is available in both English and Spanish.  

Baked Cod with Olives and Limes

(Recipe by Marcela Valladolid, from Food Network:  Mexican Made Easy)

4 (6-ounce) cod fillets, pin bones removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 thin lime slices

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1/4 cup capers, drained

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

Lime wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Put the cod in a ovenproof baking dish and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Top each fillet with 3 lime slices, the olives, capers, and rosemary.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Remove the fish from the oven and serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Victoria Challancin

Flavors of the Sun International Cooking School

San Miguel de Allende, Gto, México