One-pan tomato and fennel combi steam baked fish is a complete meal, pairing flaky fish with tender vegetables and garlicky toast. It’s fancy enough for entertaining but simple enough for a midweek dinner, and your combi steam oven makes cooking it fast and foolproof.
Why you’ll love combi steam baked fish
This dish delivers rustic-style restaurant results with minimal effort. The combination of juicy tomatoes, aromatic fennel, and perfectly steamed fish creates a flavorful, well-balanced meal.
The high humidity of a combi steam oven keeps the fish moist and tender while intensifying the natural sweetness of the vegetables. Serve it with garlicky toasted bread to soak up the flavorful juices.
Ingredients and substitutions
- White fish fillets – Snapper, barramundi, cod, halibut, or any firm white fish works well. Adjust cooking time based on thickness.
- Fennel – Adds a mild, sweet aniseed flavor. Bonus points if your fennel comes with the feathery fronds still attached to the top; you’ll be able to use those for garnishing! Swap the fennel for extra red onion if preferred.
- Cherry tomatoes – Use a mix of colors for visual appeal, or substitute with diced regular tomatoes.
- Red onion and garlic – Essential for depth of flavor.
- Black pepper – For warmth. If you like things spicy, you can swap this out for red pepper flakes or chopped fresh chili peppers.
- Parsley – Adds freshness; basil, fennel fronds or dill would also work.
- Crusty bread – Ciabatta or another sturdy bread is best for toasting.
Combi steam baked fish variations
- Make it spicy – Add a finely chopped red or green chili pepper as well as the red pepper flakes.
- Mediterranean twist – Stir in a handful of olives and capers with the tomatoes.
- Lemon and herb version – Add lemon zest and swap parsley for dill or basil.
- Dairy-free and gluten-free options – Omit the bread or use a gluten-free variety.
Step-by-step: how to make tomato and fennel combi steam baked fish
- Preheat the oven – Set your combi steam oven to 400°F (200°C) with 80% humidity.
- Season the fish – Sprinkle the flesh side of the fillets with half the salt and set aside.
- Roast the fennel and onion – Toss sliced fennel and red onion with olive oil in a large baking dish. Roast until softened and slightly caramelized, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and aromatics – Stir in garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, pepper, and parsley. Pour in ½ cup of water, mix well, and return to the oven for 6 minutes.
- Bake the fish – Stir the vegetables again, then lay the fish fillets on top. Steam-bake until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily, about 6 minutes for thin fillets and up to 12 minutes for thicker ones.
- Prepare the garlic toasts – While the fish bakes, toast the bread until golden. Rub both sides with the cut garlic clove, sprinkle with flaky salt, and drizzle with olive oil.
- Assemble and serve – Place a fish fillet on each toast, spoon the vegetables and juices over the top, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Tips for success
- Use a large baking dish – This allows the vegetables to caramelize rather than steam.
- Check fish doneness – The fish should flake easily with a fork but remain moist inside.
- Toast the bread well – A crisp, sturdy base prevents sogginess when topped with juicy vegetables.
Serving and storage suggestions
Combi steam baked fish should be served immediately, while the fish is hot and flaky. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat gently in a steam oven at 250°F (120°C) with 50% humidity to prevent the fish from drying out. The garlic toasts are best made fresh, but you can refresh them in the oven for a few minutes if needed.
Tomato and fennel baked fish is a deliciously easy one-pan meal that’s packed with flavor and texture. With the help of your combi steam oven, you’ll get perfectly cooked fish every time, along with rich, caramelized vegetables and crisp garlic toast. Whether you’re serving it for a weeknight meal or a dinner party, this dish is guaranteed to impress.
Tomato and Fennel Baked Fish
This is a gorgeous one pan meal complete with plenty of veg and crusty, garlicky toast. It’s fancy enough for company and easy enough for midweek, and combi steam gives you perfect, flaky cooked fish in a flash.
Print Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 503kcal
Ingredients
Fish and vegetables
- 4 white fish fillets each weighing 180g/6oz, boneless but skin on, see notes
- 1/2 tsp fine salt divided
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion sliced about ¼” (7mm) thick
- 1 fennel bulb sliced about ¼” (7mm) thick, see notes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes mixed colors, halved, see notes
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
Garlic toasts to serve
- 4 slices crusty bread thickly sliced, see notes
- 1 clove garlic halved
- 1/2 tsp flaky salt
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to Combi Steam, 400°F/200°C, 80% (high) humidity.
- Sprinkle the flesh side of the fish fillets with half of the salt, then set them aside while you prepare the vegetables.4 white fish fillets, 1/2 tsp fine salt
- Put the oil, sliced onion and sliced fennel into a large baking dish. Put it into the preheated oven and cook until the vegetables are sizzling, translucent and beginning to color at the edges, about 6-8 minutes.2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 red onion, 1 fennel bulb
- Remove the dish from the oven and give things a good stir, then add the garlic, cherry tomatoes and black pepper. Add half a cup of water to the dish, stir and return it to the oven. Cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and soften, about 6 minutes.2 cloves garlic, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Remove the dish from the oven. Sprinkle the parsley into the dish, give everything another stir and lay the seasoned fish on top of the vegetables. Cook until the fish is just cooked through and flakes with a fork, this will take about 6 minutes for thinner ⅜”/1cm fillets and up to 10-12 minutes for thicker ¾”/2cm fillets.4 white fish fillets, 3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- While the fish is cooking, toast the bread until golden. Rub both sides of each slice with the cut garlic clove, then place onto warmed serving plates. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the olive oil.4 slices crusty bread, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp flaky salt, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- When the fish is cooked, use a spatula to place one fish fillet onto each garlic toast. Spoon the cooked vegetables and juices over and around the fish, and garnish with additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Notes
- I used snapper fillets for this dish, but any firm white fish fillets will work. Think halibut, tilapia, cod, barramundi, red emperor, hake or sea bass. Even small whole fish like whiting or fresh sardines will work for this dish, just alter your cooking times depending on the size and thickness of your fish.
- Fennel bulbs can be found in many greengrocers and some supermarkets. They are the milder and sweeter part of the same plant which grows aniseed-tasting fennel fronds and flowers, making it a great match with fish. If you haven’t seen or used a fennel bulb before, it’s a white, bulbous vegetable which looks a little like a cross between celery and onion when sliced, and can be used in similar ways, both cooked and raw. If you can’t find, or don’t like, fennel, you can swap it out and just use extra red onions in this dish.
- Mixed cherry tomatoes give this dish lovely color and shape variety, but you can use all red ones if that’s what’s available, or even diced regular tomatoes.
- For the garlic toasts, I prefer a crusty bread with a sturdy but open crumb, like ciabatta. It holds the saucy vegetables well without disintegrating before you have a chance to eat it! Day-old bread is absolutely fine, you’re going to toast it anyway.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1101mg | Potassium: 1044mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 770IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 5mg
