Garlic Butter Cod with Tomato Olive Rice

This dinner tastes like you put in far more effort than you actually did.

The cod is flaky and buttery, the tomatoes roast down until sweet and jammy, and the olives bring that salty little kick that makes the rice impossible to leave alone.

 

I’ve made enough bland fish dinners to know that cod needs a bit of help.

Not loads.

Just the right things.

Garlic, butter, lemon and a hot pan already get you most of the way there.

Then I add roasted cherry tomatoes and a mix of green and dark olives, which gives the whole plate so much more character.

The rice underneath catches all those tomato juices and the garlic butter from the fish.

That is probably my favourite part.

By the time you get to the bottom of the bowl, the rice has soaked up everything that has happened above it.

A generous squeeze of lemon wakes it all up at the end.

Fresh parsley goes over the top, and dinner is done.

It feels colourful and a little fancy, but it is still very much a Tuesday-night sort of recipe.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The cod cooks quickly and stays soft and flaky inside.
• Roasted cherry tomatoes add sweetness without needing a heavy sauce.
• Green and dark olives give the dish plenty of savoury, briny flavour.
• The rice soaks up the garlic butter and tomato juices.
• It feels fresh, but still comforting enough to count as a proper dinner.
• Most of the ingredients are simple and easy to find.

 

Ingredients

This serves 4.

For the rice

• 250g long-grain white rice
• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the roasted tomatoes and olives

• 350g cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 80g green olives
• 80g Kalamata olives

For the cod

• 4 thick cod fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

To finish

• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• Extra black pepper, to taste

How to Make Garlic Butter Cod with Tomato Olive Rice

1. Get the tomatoes roasting

Start with the tomatoes because they need a little time to collapse and concentrate.

Heat the oven to 200°C fan.

• Add the cherry tomatoes to a roasting dish.
• Drizzle over the olive oil.
• Add the minced garlic.
• Sprinkle over the oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper.
• Toss everything together.
• Roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

You want the tomatoes soft, wrinkled and starting to burst.

A few darker edges are welcome.

Do not pull them out while they still look neat and firm.

This is one of those moments where messier tastes better.

2. Cook the rice

While the tomatoes roast, make the rice.

• Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the chopped shallot.
• Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Stir in the rice.
• Pour in the stock.
• Add the salt and black pepper.
• Bring to a gentle boil.
• Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
• Cook for around 15 minutes, or according to the packet instructions.
• Turn off the heat and leave it covered for another 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

The grains should stay soft and separate.

If you stir rice too aggressively when it is hot, it can turn sticky very quickly.

A fork and a light hand are plenty.

3. Add the olives to the tomatoes

Once the tomatoes are properly roasted, stir in the olives.

• Add the green olives.
• Add the Kalamata olives.
• Gently mix them through the tomatoes and oil.
• Return the dish to the oven for another 5 minutes.

The olives only need warming through.

You want them plump and glossy, not dried out.

The tomatoes should have released enough juice by now to make a loose, oily sauce in the bottom of the dish.

Keep all of it.

That is going straight onto the rice later.

4. Season the cod

Cod is delicate, so I keep the seasoning fairly simple.

• Pat the fillets dry with kitchen paper.
• Season both sides with salt.
• Add black pepper.
• Sprinkle over the paprika.

That little bit of paprika helps with colour and gives the fish a warm savoury note.

It should not taste heavily spiced.

The lemon, garlic and butter are still doing most of the work.

5. Pan-sear the cod

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

• Add the olive oil.
• Place the cod in the pan.
• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side.
• Carefully flip each fillet.
• Add the butter.
• Add the minced garlic.
• Cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

As the butter melts, spoon it over the cod.

Do this a few times while the fish finishes cooking.

The cod is ready when it is opaque through the centre and flakes easily with a fork.

Try not to keep flipping it.

Cod is not interested in being fussed with.

One turn is enough.

6. Finish the rice

Now give the rice a little of the flavour from the tomato mixture.

• Spoon a few tablespoons of the roasted tomato juices into the rice.
• Add a small handful of chopped parsley.
• Gently fold everything together.

You do not want to completely turn the rice red.

It should still look mostly pale, with little streaks of tomato oil and herbs running through it.

That keeps the plate fresh rather than making it feel like tomato rice.

7. Put everything together

Spoon the rice into shallow bowls or plates.

Add the roasted tomatoes and olives over and around the rice.

Place a cod fillet on top.

Spoon a little garlic butter from the pan over the fish.

Add more of the roasted tomato juices around the edges.

Finish with plenty of chopped parsley.

Add a thick slice or wedge of lemon over the cod.

Then grind over a little black pepper.

Serve while the fish is hot.

Tips for Getting the Cod Right

Use thick fillets

Thin pieces cook very quickly and dry out before you get much colour.

Thicker pieces are much easier to keep juicy.

Dry the fish first

This is such a small step, but it matters.

A wet fillet steams.

A dry fillet actually gets a little colour.

Don’t cook it to death

Cod should separate into moist flakes.

If it looks dry and stringy, it has gone too far.

Pull it off the heat as soon as the centre turns opaque.

Add the garlic after flipping

Garlic burns quickly in a hot pan.

Adding it with the butter near the end gives you the flavour without making it bitter.

Why the Tomato and Olive Mix Works So Well

Cod is mild.

That is exactly why it can handle strong little accents around it.

The tomatoes bring sweetness and acidity.

The olives bring salt and depth.

The garlic gives the whole thing warmth.

Then the olive oil and butter tie everything together without turning it into a heavy sauce.

I like using both green olives and Kalamata olives because they taste noticeably different.

Green olives are brighter and sharper.

Kalamata olives are darker and richer.

Together, they make every bite slightly different.

What to Serve With It

You really do not need much else.

The rice already makes this a complete meal.

If I add anything, it is usually something green and simple.

Good options include:

• Steamed green beans
• Roasted asparagus
• A simple rocket salad
• Tenderstem broccoli
• Garlic spinach

Crusty bread is also very useful if you have a lot of tomato and olive oil left in the bowl.

And yes, I absolutely would use the bread to wipe the plate clean.

 

Q&A

Can I use frozen cod?

Yes.

Thaw it completely first.

Then pat it very dry before seasoning and cooking.

Frozen fish often holds more surface moisture, so the drying step matters even more.

Can I use another fish?

Absolutely.

Haddock works very well.

Pollock is another good option.

Halibut would be lovely too, although it is usually more expensive.

Can I use only green olives?

Yes.

You can use just one type if that is what you have.

I like the mixed olives because they give the dish a little more depth.

Can I use brown rice?

You can.

It will take longer to cook and the plate will have a slightly nuttier flavour.

White rice suits the buttery fish especially well, though.

Can I roast the cod instead?

Yes.

Place the seasoned cod in a baking dish, dot with butter and garlic, then roast at 200°C until it flakes easily.

I prefer pan-searing because you get a little more colour on the fish.

Can I make the tomatoes ahead?

Yes.

You can roast the tomatoes and olives earlier in the day.

Warm them gently before serving.

What if my tomato mixture looks dry?

Add another tablespoon of olive oil.

You want some glossy liquid in the bottom because that is what makes the rice so good.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Keep the fish separate from the rice if you can.

That makes reheating easier.

Warm the rice and tomato mixture until piping hot.

Reheat the cod gently.

A low oven or a covered pan works better than blasting it in the microwave.

Add a little fresh lemon juice after reheating.

It gives the leftovers a much fresher taste.

Conclusion

I like this dinner because it never feels weighed down.

The cod is buttery and soft, but the lemon keeps it bright.

The tomatoes go sweet and almost jammy, while the olives bring enough salt to keep every forkful interesting.

Then the rice sits underneath and quietly absorbs the garlic butter, tomato juices and olive oil.

By the end, it might actually be the bit everyone fights over.

I would make extra rice.

That is all I’m saying.