An easy, one-pan fish dish that can be ready for the table in less than 30 minutes is always a good recipe to have in your repertoire. This classic Cod Provençal recipe boasts meaty cod loins, simmered in a spicy tomato sauce nestled with salty capers and black olives. This is a quick, simple and healthy one-pan dish that is incredibly flavorful and perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
What is “Cod Provençal”?
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.
If you would like to taste another take on this “Provençal” cooking style, check out my Chicken Provençal with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes.
Common Questions:
Can I use a different fish than Cod for this recipe?
While Cod is the traditional fish used in this recipe, you can substitute with haddock, hake, cusk, tilapia, pollock, striped bass, or white sea bass. Just be aware that each fish has different textures and may be more delicate than the cod.
I’m not a fan of olives and/or capers, can I still make this dish?
Olives and capers bring important Mediterranean flavors and aromas to the dish. But yes, they can be left out. This will alter the flavor of the dish quite a bit. I’d suggest leaving a few still in there and I’m confident you’ll still enjoy the dish!
Would dried salted cod work in this recipe?
Absolutely, provided you’ve properly soaked and rehydrated the fish. Be aware that this method typically makes for a saltier dish (and this dish is already a touch on the salty side). Just something to be aware of!
Can I replace the fresh herbs with dried herbs?
Fresh herbs are best for this recipe. But of course I think using dried Thyme would make for a fine substitute. I would however keep away from using dried parsley for this dish. It has none of the same characteristics as its fresh counterpart.
How to store this Cod Provençal ?
After making and enjoying this Cod Provençal recipe, if you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer.
- In the refrigerator: let the the dish cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat your portions on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- In the freezer: let the dish cool completely and store it in a (freezer-friendly) airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, you can let the dish thaw in the fridge before heating it through on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Cooking notes:
- For this recipe, you will need a pan with a fitted lid.
- Fresh cod loins are best, but you can use frozen cod loins too. Make sure they are fully thawed before you start cooking them.
- For the black olives, good variety choices are Nyon, Kalamata and Niçoise. I prefer using olives with pits as they are more flavorful and will also impart more flavor to the sauce. But for convenience, you can opt for pitted olives
- Choose ripe tomatoes (slightly soft to the touch). Good varieties are Red Beefsteak, Roma and Heirloom.
- Caper buds or berries both work in this recipe.
- You can skip on the red pepper flakes if you don’t want the sauce to have a spicy kick.
More Provençal recipes to enjoy:
- Classic French stove-top Ratatouille
- Chilled Zucchini Mint Soup
- Crustless Quiche with Summer Vegetables
- Classic Vegetable Tian from Provence
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip from Provence
- Classic French Tomato Mustard Tart
- Swiss Chard Pancakes (Farçous)
I hope you’ll love this Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives recipe as much as I do! Serve it with rice, and be sure to have crusty bread on-hand for sopping up the beautiful sauce.
90 comments
I made this, but used salt cod instead of fresh cod loins.The salt cod was totally refreshed, but – especially with olives and capers added – the result was far too salty for my wife. I liked it a lot better than she did, though I had to admit it was pretty salty. (However, when I ate the leftovers the next day, it seemed a lot less salty, though I don’t know why it would be.) Anyway, the sauce was delicious, and I will certainly make this dish again, but this time with fresh cod.
Hi Jack! Thank you for your feedback. In my experience, salt cod, even after being re-hydrated and refreshed, still taste pretty salty in comparison to fresh cods. I love to use re-hydrated salt cod for making cod fritters for instance; but for this recipe, fresh cod is definitely best. Still glad that you enjoyed the sauce, and that you’re willing to give this recipe another try with fresh cod 🙂
your recipes are so authentic and accessible…..I love receiving them ..shall make the salad for lunch…mmm!
Thank you Jenny!
Made this just as written. I like spicy, but this was a little too much spice for the rest of the family. Loved the sauce, however, and when I make this again will go easy on the red pepper flakes. Otherwise, spectacular!
Great to hear, Meg! Spice can be a tricky thing, especially when the levels of tolerance vary within the family. My husband is a spice fanatic, so what he thinks is mild is someone else’s hot. 🙂
Delicious, This is my third go at it!
Amazing, thank you for your feedback Richard!
Dear Audrey
Your Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives was superb. This will be a recipe I return to often.
One day I hope to see your recipe for ratatouille.
Many thanks
Ric
Thank you for your feedback Ric!
Absolutely perfect! I made it tonight for my wife & myself & followed the recipe exactly, and it was perfect. Thank you!
Amazing, thank you!
Just made this, excellent recipe for my wife – It was a hit. We’ll be coming back to it. Thank you !!
Great, thank you for your feedback Arnold!
Dear Audrey,
I am making this tonight and cannot wait.
I would just like to know how many calories are in this dish please?
Many thanks
Hi Jaime, thank you! I never count calories and I am not expert enough in nutrition to provide these details on my recipes. You could use a recipe calorie calculator online if you wish (like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076). I hope this helps!
Thank you!
Awesome recipe–so flavorful. I used with tilapia because that was what I had and we loved it. I substituted dried thyme and added a good splash of white wine while sauteeing the vegetables. I will definitely make again!
Great, thanks for your feedback Jacki!
I made this for dinner last night, and it was the best dinner I’ve made in ages, and so easy!!! My children devoured it, despite being skeptical about the olives. But so far, every recipe of yours I have tried has been divine! And I have tried several! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
You should soak salty cod for three days changing water. That’s what Portugueses do. It’s mush better than fresh cod.
My husband’s (Italian) family does this with salted cod, as well. In France it doesn’t seem to be a common thing to do. It is very delicious though, you’re right!
Made this last night and couldn’t get enough. Absolutely delicious. My husband loved it too. I don’t cook a lot of cod, but, this was yummy. I’ll make it over and over. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. I’m doing the Chicken Fricassee tonight.
Thank you for your feedback Virginia, that’s great to hear!
Hello Audrey! Excellente recipe. I made it tonight. Quick, easy, a pleasure to prepare and to eat. I love the different flavors and textures. And I love fresh cod, my favorite fish. Two thumbs up. I will make it again. Merci. Au plaisir!
Amazing, merci Pierre!
I made this tonight. It was wonderful! Flavorful! I’m a beginner cook, and this was pretty easy. I was worried it would be too salty, so held back a bit of salt when seasoning the cod. Overall, wonderful! Thank you for posting your recipes.
Amazing, thank you for your feedback!
I made this last week. Very simple and very delicious!
Fantastic, thank you for your feedback!
I’m going to make this tonight ; it sounds delicious. I only have Campari tomatoes and canned petite diced tomatoes. I would like to use the fresh tomatoes. Do the skins of fresh tomatoes interfere at all with the sauce?
Hi! No this recipe is meant to use fresh tomatoes, I don’t feel the skins interfere with the texture at all. Enjoy!
Looking forward to making this tonight!
Thanks, and enjoy!
OMG! I made this and it was awesome! I need not go to a restaurant to have this. I can now make it myself! Thank you Audrey.
wonderful, thank you!
This recipe looks delicious and I’d like to try it. But can you tell me where near NOTL I can get caper berries and fresh olives like the ones in your photo? Seems divine!
Hi June, you can find those caper berries (in jars) and fresh olives (counter) at Commisso’s in NF. Happy cooking!
Made today but added slightly tired chopped red peppers to the onion stage of the sauce – really yummy – and I am in Provence !!! Thanks
Wonderful, thank you for your feedback!
[…] of cooking that hails from the sun-kissed region of Provence. Often used for preparing chicken or fish, the Provençal style consists of using the abundant staple ingredients found in the […]
Looks like another great recipe. Only question is regarding the Caper Berries? The only capers that I have access to are the capers sold ickled in jars …and they are tiny compared to those shown in your photos. What do you suggest?
If this is all you can find, no problem at all. Use them! I can’t always find the larger caper berries either, but the small ones work almost as well. Enjoy!
I made this tonight and it was fabulous! It came together very easy and quick. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this recipe. It really is quick and full of flavor.
I hope you get a chance to try more and more recipes, as there are plenty of good ones for the fall season.
This was a delicious way to prepare a rather boring piece of cod. The flavor of the sauce was delicious, especially the addition of the olives and capers. Having just returned from France, this tasted like many of the fairly simple fish dishes we sampled and we loved.
It will be an addition to our rotation!
Thank you so much, Kay, a lovely compliment! The key in France is typically to highlight the flavor of fresh fish, so the dishes do tend to be quite simple. I also adore the addition of capers and olives to this, it just makes it so fun to eat.
Hi Audrey,
We live in Florida and cod is not always available. Is it possible to substitute another fish filet such as red snapper or mahi fillets?
Mary B
Hello, Mary. While it obviosuly won’t be Cod Provencal when using another fish, I have myself used other whitefish for this recipe and it still turns out delicious! Hope you enjoy!
1-14 oz. can diced tomatos
grape tomatoes for garnish/texture. Baked in cast iron skillet with cooked Gnocchi. olive juice!
Sounds delicious, Juanita!!!
Please share a simple bouillabaisse. Thank you.
Hello Nelson. Summer is here and the fish is plentiful, so might try to work on a bouillabaisse or fish soup to share with you all!
What do you serve with Cod Provencal?
The classic accompaniments are rice (any kind, but I usually just do plain white rice) and crispy, crunchy bread to help soak up all the sauce!
I made Gnocchi, it was wonderful!
Great recipe, have made it a few times, very easy and quick.
Much appreciated, Katherine! So glad you enjoyed this delicious dish.
This looks fabulous, and I am looking forward to trying it. Your pictures show that you used a cast iron pan. I have read recommendations to not use cast iron because it can leave an unpleasant flavor in tomato-based dishes. I’ve tried making tomato sauce for spaghetti in cast iron, and I found it to be true! None of the other comments mention this. Thoughts?
Great question, Deb! Thankfully, this cast iron pan is enameled, so the surface is not actually the iron… But I have definitely shared the same experience as you when using cast iron without enamel, as I believe the acid reacts unpleasantly with the iron itself. But if you can find yourself a reasonably priced enamaled cast iron pan, I highly recomment them – they’re fantastic for so many dishes!
Can you do this in the oven for a dinner party? I’ve made this for a weeknight dinner and it”s so delicious, but I’d love to serve this for a group of 8. But i don’t like to be stuck in the kitchen during apps/salad to cook. Any tips?
Hello, Ali and thanks for the question. This one was difficult the more I thought about it. Because this dish depends heavily on “layering” flavours, and because tomatoes need to be softened (which takes 1-12min) before the final step of adding the fish, I am unsure of where this would be oven friendly. Especially since the fish cooks for only about 5min.
My BEST suggestion if I was to do it in an oven is to, in an oven safe pan, do Steps 1 and 2 on the stovetop, then place it in a preheated 325-350 degree oven for the tomatoes to soften/cook down for 15-20min. Then remove from the oven and cook the fish for the final 5min on the stovetop again (or the oven).
Unlike in a stew which cooks for hours, the onions/garlic need to fry and the tomatoes need to soften before adding the delicate fish. It’s unfortunately not a very “cook in the oven” friendly dish.
Thanks!! My thought was to pre-prep steps 1 and 2, then prep the tomatoes/olives/capers/fish. As we’re starting apps, I’ll put the dish in to cook the tomatoes and then I can add the olives/capers/fish for the last 5 mins as you said. Worst case the tomatoes are a bit softer than we might prefer but hey! I’ll let you know how it goes! I made this for my boyfriend and he lost his mind over how delicious it was. Cheers!
Good luck! I’m sure it’ll still taste great. I’d love to know your exact steps once completed and how you thought it tasted done in the oven. I’m sure it’d be helpful for other readers as well. Bon appetit!
Hi Audrey! So I basically did close what I’d commented. Around 4:00, I prepped and made the sauce through step 3. I added a bit of extra tomatoes because my romas weren’t very juicy ( did a combo of 4 large camparis on the vine and 2 romas) and i always double the olives (I do a combo of castelvetrano and kalamata) because I like a lot of that flavor. I also doubled the recipe since I was serving 8. Did the sauce in my LC dutch oven. Put a prep bowl to the side of the olives and caper berries, and prepped the fish, but put it back in the fridge until I needed it. At about 6:30, I got out two baking dishes and put half the sauce in each. Those sat near the stove until about 7:15. Then I added the olives/caper berries from the prep bowl and both went into the oven at 350. I should have waited, but i wanted to be sure it heated up enough. At around 7:45, I dressed and plated salad, and got the fish out of the fridge. I found the sauce had reduced just a bit so added probably 1/2 c water to each (so should have just let it heat in the oven for around 10-15 mins before adding the fish). Added the fish, nestled it pretty well in the sauce, forgot the thyme lol. Let that cook for about 10 mins while we had salads, then turned off the oven and it sat for another 5 mins (too long, but just barely). Because the fish went straight from the fridge into the oven I think 10-12 mins would have been ok (they were also fairly thick cuts). But this sauce is so delicious that even though the fish turned out a bit over it was still a hit. And enough leftovers that my 11&13 year olds ate it for dinner last night. Served with buttered/lightly salted jasmine rice. With a couple adjustments could easily do it again and my girls went insane for it. Thanks!!
Full menu:
Cocktail: St Tropez
Spanish anchovies on seedy crackers with french butter and fresh italian parsely
Labne with warmed olives, cherry tomatoes, garlic, & za’atar with carrots, baby corn, persian cucmbers, crackers to dip
Lamejun (a kind of armenian flatbread)
Crackers with french butter, maldon salt, and sliced radish
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Green salad: romaine, avocado, english cucumbers, spring onion dressed simply with evoo, lemon, s&p
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Audrey’s Bomb Ass Cod Provencal with buttery jasmine rice
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Lavender Honey Lemon Tart
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Had variety of reds and white depending on who brought what but the 2016 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir my friend brought (!!!) was the favorite. Delicious! Hope this helps someone else!! BRING BACK THE TRUE DINNER PARTY!!!! We do them every other month and it’s a BLAST.
Wow, amazing tips and information for me and others, Ali! Thank you for letting us know how that turned out. The menu and evening sounded spectacular… And I could not agree more, the dinner party needs a comeback! Sounds like you’re doing a great job of helping ensure that happens! I look forward to having our home completely furnished and ready to host!
[…] with dishes such as Cod Provencal, it’s light enough to not overpower the meal and offers varying degrees of acidity and […]
incredibly good! So flavorful and healthy. I did add about 1/2 cup of white wine, reduced. Then before covering and steaming the tomatoes, added about 1 cup of passata. This gave us a little extra sauce to soak up with my husband’s homemade sourdough bread.
That sounds amazing, Ann! Nothing is ever wrong with some extra sauce, especially when you have homemade sourdough to mop it up with! Glad you enjoyed your dinner, and merci for the kind words!
bonjour – it was a lovely dinner…making us feel like we were in the south of France. Gosh, what was missing was a Bandol wine (wink) It turned out great and so so easy and fast. I think it would be good cold too – will try with the left overs.
Merci, Veronique! So happy your enjoyed this meal and it transported you back to the south of France 🙂
As for Bandol wine, it’s like liquid gold. If there’s one thing that would make this meal that much better, it’d be a glass of the regional stuff. Absolutely!
I made the cod Provencal and it was fantastic. I’m looking forward to making it again!
Much appreciated, Helene! So glad you enjoyed it and I know you’ll enjoy it just as much the second time around! 🙂
Unfortunately, I stumbled upon this recipe too late in the year, the tomato season is over (I cook with seasonal vegetables as much as possible), so I used canned ones because I really wanted to try the recipe. It was fabulous, sooo quick and simple, and so tasty. I also used frozen cod, can’t get hold of the fresh one where I live. I was skeptical about cooking it for practically only 5 minutes, so I extended the cooking time by few minutes, but as it was falling apart to the touch, I realised I can fully trust the instructions in the recipe. Thank you, this dish is a new staple in my home!
Thank you so much, Katarina. I know it can be difficult to trust instructions sometimes, but I do try my best to test and retest recipes as much as I can before sharing. That said, every kitchen and stove and oven is different, so sometimes a few minutes more or less is required.
Cooking with seasonal is always best, but it’s not always possible. Sounds like you still made do with quality ingredients that gave you a great result. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
When do you add the capers and olives? I’m assuming with the cod?
Hi Dianna! The olives and capers are added in step 3. Hope this helps, and hope you enjoy! 🙂
Left out the onions and all olives. Added a couple artichoke hearts sliced up. Added half a cup of tomato sauce. I made little potatoes in the oven. And we’ll add it to the sauce when serving. Though I’d like the flavor of the olives and onions I had to leave them out. It actually turned out pretty good. Had some crunchy bread with us.
The olives definitely add a little extra something to rthe dish, no doubt, but if they need to be left out then so be it! You made a great choice in adding artichoke hearts, it’s probably best case scenario for me as an olive “sub” in the dish. Glad you enjoyed it, Sheila – and good job adjusting as necessary! 🙂
This was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of an extra 2 tomatoes and a little extra garlic. Served with rice pilaf and an arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! Absolutely nothing wrong with adding a little more tomato and garlic 🙂 Great choice of sides as well, compliments to the chef!
Absolutely delicious! Will make again and again.
Thank you so much, Jessie! A true clssic, that will never, ever go out of style or favor in my kicthen. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Outstanding!!! Thank you, Audrey. This was divine. Will definitely make again.
You’re so very welcome, Shari! Thrilled you enjoyed it 🙂
Delicious! Be careful not to overcook cod or it falls apart ruining presentation.
Absolutely, Jessie! Cod is a one of the more forgiving fish to cook, but you’re right – it’ll crumble if you go overboard.
I have now made this recipe twice as it is so easy and healthy, and yet so very tasty. I served it with fresh bread and a simple spring green salad. I am experimenting with different types of tomatoes, as I am unable to produce the amount of liquid seen in the photos. I have been compensating for this by adding white wine, which works very well. Any suggestions as to have more tomato “sauce”? Also, it would help to know the weight of the cod, as we buy very fresh cod that comes as fillets rather than loins. (It’s one reason I made it twice as I purchased too much cod the first time – a very happy mistake.) One recommendation for people who find the olives too overwhelming: half or quarter them, or slice them into rounds. They will still offer a lovely flavour but it will not be so overwhelming for younger, more sensitive taste buds. Thank you, Audrey, for sharing such a simple yet lovely dish.
Thank you so very much Roxanne, I’m so glad you enjoyed this enough to make twice (and hopefully countless more times!). Great tip re: the olives for readers as well.
As for the weight of the cod, I’m simply going to have to make it again and see how much they weighed, as I’m actually not sure off hand. And as for the tomatoes, and getting them more “juicy” it’s difficult to say, as that’s how they come here, naturally – but I have a feeling this comes more down to the tight fitting lid than anything (which keeps the sauce/liquid in). Is your lid loose, by chance?