Ingredients Seafood Fish Cod Cod with Tomato Ginger Sauce 4.0 (1) 3 Reviews Canned tomatoes, onions, and grated ginger transform this quick and easy fish dinner into something special. By Mrigaa Sethi Mrigaa Sethi Mrigaa Sethi is a writer, editor, and home cook with over 13 years of experience in food, travel, and lifestyle magazines, ranging from alt-weeklies in Bangkok to monthly airline glossies in Singapore and New York City. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 25, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: © Bobbi Lin Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 Jump to recipe Ginger, onions, and canned tomatoes create a simple yet surprisingly complex sauce for meaty cod fillets.The fish cooks directly in the sauce, allowing its juices to thin the tomato base to just the right consistency.Freshly ground black pepper and a choice of cilantro or parsley finish the dish with a fresh, lively note. The star of this low-lift, high-impact fish dinner — other than the firm, meaty fillets of cod, that is — is the deceptively simple, deeply flavorful tomato sauce that comes together in minutes. Instead of the predictable garlic, this recipe sautés fresh ginger with onions and canned tomatoes, lending the sauce an unexpected zing. After just 10 minutes of simmering, the cod goes directly on top of the tomatoes, where it cooks gently and releases juices that mingle with the tomatoes, thinning the sauce to the perfect consistency. A final flourish of freshly ground black pepper and chopped cilantro or parsley adds freshness and balance. With a large enough pan and a well-fitted lid, you can have dinner for four ready in just over 30 minutes. Fresh versus frozen cod If you’re buying fresh cod, make sure it looks and smells good. It should smell clean and mild, not fishy or sour, and the flesh should look moist and firm, without discoloration. Ask the fishmonger if the fish was previously frozen. Much of the fish sold as fresh has been frozen at some point during transport, and it’s not unusual for supermarkets to thaw previously frozen fish and place it in their fresh displays. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s important to know what you’re buying. For the best quality, cook fresh cod soon after purchasing and follow the storage guidance from your fishmonger or retailer. On the other hand, don’t rule out frozen cod on principle. Cod that has been flash-frozen by a reputable purveyor can be better than some of the fresh options you might find at a supermarket. Check out the freezer aisle, or even an online frozen fish distributor that can deliver to your door. You’ll just have to work thawing time into your cooking plans. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Other relatively firm, thick fillets or steaks that would work well instead of cod include orange roughy, grouper, and halibut.For a bit of heat, add one chopped jalapeño pepper to the sauce along with the fresh ginger. Suggested pairing Look for an acidic white without too much personality, so the wine won’t get in the way of the tomato ginger sauce. Try a Portuguese Vinho Verde or a refreshing French Côtes de Gascogne. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 pounds cod or scrod fillets, cut to make 4 pieces 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley Directions In a large deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger; cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the fillets and black pepper to the pan and cook, covered, until just done, 10 to 12 minutes longer for 1-inch-thick fillets. Stir the parsley into the sauce. Serve the fish topped with the sauce. This recipe was first published in Food & Wine’s 1997 cookbook Quick From Scratch Fish & Shellfish; the text was written in part by Mrigaa Sethi. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.