oven-baked cod with wine-herb sauce

prep: 15 MINUTES | cook: 20 MINUTES | total: 35 MINUTES | serves 6

Our sister-in-law’s mom, Sherill, makes this fish dish every Christmas, and we’re so happy she shared the recipe with us because the secret really is in the sauce. With butter, shallots, a splash of vermouth (a fortified wine), fresh herbs, and tomatoes, it’s a throwback to fancy old-school seafood restaurants. This dish also takes almost no hands-on time to make (just whip up the sauce, pour over the fish, and bake), but it has people licking their plates clean. That’s why we suggest serving the flaky fish with plenty of crusty bread so everyone can soak up more of that magical sauce.

1½ pounds fresh cod, cut into 6 equal pieces

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup chicken broth

¾ cup sliced grape tomatoes

½ cup dry vermouth

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1½ teaspoons soy sauce

Crusty bread, for serving

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2 Place the cod in a 9 × 13-inch pan. Set aside.

3 In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the broth, tomatoes, vermouth, garlic, shallot, cornstarch, basil, parsley, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Let the sauce cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

4 Pour the sauce over the fish and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F. Serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread.