Baked Fish Recipe

Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. This helps the marinade adhere and prevents steaming in the oven.

Mince the garlic finely or use a garlic press. In a small bowl whisk together 3 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs lemon juice, minced garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, chopped parsley, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper until emulsified.

Place the fillets in a shallow dish or a resealable bag and pour about two-thirds of the marinade over the fish, turning to coat both sides. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting and finishing. Let the fish sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes (or refrigerate up to 30 minutes).

If using vegetables, toss the cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and zucchini with 1 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold the fillets. Arrange lemon slices over the vegetables — they will flavor the fish and vegetables as they roast.

Arrange the marinated fillets on top of the vegetable bed or directly in a lightly oiled baking dish skin-side down (if the fillets have skin). Spoon any remaining marinade over the top of each fillet.

Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 10–14 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets. Thicker fillets (1.5–2 inches) will need 14–18 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and the internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part.

About halfway through cooking (after roughly 6–9 minutes), baste the fillets once with the juices in the pan or the reserved marinade to keep them moist and glossy.

When the fish is cooked through, remove from oven. Sprinkle with the chopped dill or extra parsley and serve with lemon wedges. If the vegetables were used, spoon them alongside the fillets.