Roast Pollock with White Beans and Tomatoes
Pollock is the fish I reach for when I want something cheap that still feels like a proper dinner. It is a firm white fish, milder than cod but holding together just as well in the oven, and it costs a fraction of the price. Most fish counters have it, and it is one of the more sustainable choices going.
Everything here happens in one roasting tin. The beans and tomatoes go in first and cook down into something halfway between a stew and a sauce, then the fillets sit on top for the last twelve minutes. Crushing a few of the beans against the side of the tin thickens it all without any flour.
Tinned beans and tomatoes are the cupboard staples that get us through a busy week, and this is the dish they end up in most often. Cannellini are my preference because they turn properly creamy, though butter beans work perfectly well if that is what you have in.
This feeds four with bread to mop out the tin, or two with plenty left for lunch. The fish will not reheat well but the beans are arguably better on the second day. I take the tin straight to the table rather than plating any of it up.
Roast Pollock with White Beans and Tomatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Serving size: 427g
Calories per serving: 448
Fat per serving: 17.4g
Ingredients
- 4 pollock fillets (about 150g each), skin on
- 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 400g cherry tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 lemon (half juiced, half cut into wedges)
- Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- Salt and black pepper to season
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C. Tip the drained beans, cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, oregano and 3 tbsp of the olive oil into a large roasting tin, season well and toss it all together.
- Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the garlic has softened into the oil.
- Meanwhile, pat the pollock fillets dry with kitchen paper and season them on both sides.
- Crush a few of the beans against the side of the tin with the back of a spoon and stir them through, which thickens everything. Nestle the fillets on top and drizzle over the last of the oil.
- Return the tin to the oven for 12-14 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when you press it.
- Squeeze over the lemon juice, scatter the parsley across the tin and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.
