Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives

Not a specific recipe, “Provençal” refers to the style of cooking that hails from the sun-kissed region of Provence, in Southern France. The Provençal style is often used for preparing chicken or fish, and consists of using the staple ingredients found in the region: extra-virgin olive oil, sun-ripped tomatoes and garlic, olives from the local orchards, and herbs such as thyme, parsley and/or a mix (Herbes de Provence).

There likely exists as many variants of “Provençal” recipes as there are families in Provence. The main ingredients are always there (EVOO, olives, garlic, tomatoes, herbs) but other ingredients can be added for extra flavor: wine, capers, bell peppers, lemon quarters, artichoke hearts, anchovies, etc.

For this version of Cod Provençal, I chose to keep things simple to let the delicate cod loins shine and opted for the use of juicy ripe tomatoes, salty black olives and capers and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. 

• 2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced in half rounds
• 2 large tomatoes (or 3 medium), ripened and diced into small cubes
• 6-7 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed (+ extra for garnish)
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 15-20 black olives (preferably pitted)
• 10-15 caper berries (or 2 tbsp capers)
• 4 cod loins
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper