Sheet pan dinner: White fish with potatoes and fennel
This sheet pan dinner is ready in about 45 minutes and combines mild base flavors with all kinds of dynamic toppings to please even the pickiest palate.
This recipe has a lot of steps (hence, the numbering to make things easier), but each ingredient can be prepped while the previous one is cooking. If you like a sour crunch to most of your dishes, start by prepping the quick pickled onions so they sit while you make the rest of dinner.
Sheet pan dinner: White fish with potatoes and fennel
Time: About 40-45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
½ lb small potatoes, halved or quartered
2 large bulbs of fennel, white part only, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
½-1 tsp salt, divided
Black pepper, to taste
4 white fish fillets, about 6 oz each, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Toppings (all are optional!):
½ cup green or black olives, pitted and chopped
2-3 oz feta, crumbled
Fresh oregano
Quick pickled red onions (See recipe below)
Roasted red peppers, sliced
Lemon wedges
Flatbreads, Naan, or Pita
Preheat the oven to 425.
Prep the potatoes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5 minutes.
While the potatoes roast, slice the fennel into 1/8th inch slices. Add the fennel to the roasting pan and toss with the other 1 Tbsp of oil and another large pinch of salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the fennel starts to brown and the potatoes are fork tender.
While the fennel roasts, wrap your fish in parchment packets. Cut a piece of parchment 2-3x as large as your fish filet. Place the filet in the middle and bring the two longer ends together and fold down. Fold up the remaining sides.
Add the fish on top of the veggies and cook until it flakes easily. This will take slightly longer if you’re cooking the fish from frozen. (If using thawed, check the fish after 10 minutes; if using frozen, check after 15-18 minutes. Open up one parchment packet and try to flake the fish with a fork. If it comes apart easily, it’s done.)
While the veggies and fish are roasting, prep your toppings. Set aside until ready to eat.
Mince the garlic. Combine with 2 Tbsp of butter and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or until the butter is just liquid. Add a pinch of salt and stir. Set aside.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and carefully open the parchment packets. Discard the paper and the water that’s collected in the packets while the fish cooked.
Top the fish fillets with the garlic butter.
Top the sheet pan with any of the toppings you choose.
Quick pickled red onions
1 large red onion, sliced into 1/8 inch slices
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Combine the onions with the pickling ingredients in a large container and shake a few times. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 1 week.