Cooking fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness is an old rule of thumb that works perfectly when roasting fillets or steaks. It’s just enough time to cook the flesh through so that it’s opaque, but not so much that it flakes. The only hitch comes with fillets that are uneven. Use your judgment but err on the side of less is more. You can always put any undercooked parts back in the oven, but you can’t undo overdone. Serve these as is in their purist form, or add your favorite sauce on the side. A pesto, aioli or vinaigrette would work well.
Ingredients
- 4fish fillets or steaks of any kind of fish, skin on or off to taste
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt
- Black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Measure fish fillets at the thickest part. Drizzle fish with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down if you’ve left the skin on.
- Roast fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, until the fish is opaque and tender when pierced with a fork but before it starts to flake. Serve with lemon wedges, drizzled with more good olive oil.
Dining and Cooking