This delicious codfish sandwich is served on soft focaccia bread. It's heavenly seasoned and mixed with an easy-to-make tomato sauce that deliciously soaks into the bread.
Mediterranean flavors, fresh herbs, and the delightful texture of homemade focaccia bread satisfy you with each bite. It's perfect for lunch or dinner and even fancy enough to entertain guests.
This focaccia sandwich ranks right up there with some of my favorite Mediterranean recipes, like this thick-crusted pizza bread. It's an open-faced sandwich that's easy to make and comes together quickly.
A lovely seasoned red tomato base adds the right amount of balance to the flavors. It's sweet and peppery, with a touch of heat, and glistening with olive oil that deliciously takes over the focaccia bread. It yields about 4 to 5 open-faced sandwiches, which are incredibly filling.
It's a great family dinner recipe, but these cod sandwiches are also fancy enough to entertain guests at an intimate home party. Serve with a glass of your favorite white wine and a refreshing, healthy cucumber salad, and simply enjoy your creation. Let's make it!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This crispy cod sandwich on focaccia bread has so much to offer:
- Easy to make: These focaccia sandwiches are ready and beautifully presented in 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Deliciously seasoned: The cod fish is amazingly flavored and drenched in a hearty tomato base that pairs well with airy focaccia bread.
- Satisfying: These sandwiches ooze amazing Mediterranean flavors and are incredibly filling.
- Attractively presented: Eaten with a knife and fork, this beautifully presented focaccia sandwich dish is fancy enough to serve guests.
Ingredients & Notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Let's have a look at what you need to make cod sandwiches on focaccia bread:
- Cod fillets: Look for fresh fish at your local grocery store; cod filets have a mild flavor and flaky texture ideal for fish sandwiches. Get enough to make my Cod and Leek Dinner Recipe.
- Olive oil: For the best flavor, use good-quality extra-virgin olive oil to quickly pan-fry the cod and add lovely flavors to the tomato-based sauce.
- Tomato paste: Use one with no added salt or sugar. I love organic tomato paste from Bionaturae.
- Cilantro: It adds a beautiful lemony and peppery taste to the sauce's base, and I'm using some as a garnish.
- Garlic: A must to create a lovely aroma and flavor to the base of the tomato sauce.
- Vegetable broth: You only need a little to add some hearty moisture to the tomato paste. Use any leftovers to make my Hearty Vegetable Soup.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, dried basil, paprika powder, and crushed red pepper flakes create the perfect seasoning blend.
- Focaccia bread: You can use homemade or store-bought focaccia, cut into square sandwich-sized slices. Rosemary focaccia or plain focaccia both work wonderfully.
How To Make It
See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.
Step One (Picture 1 above) - Pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel, and season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Then, pan-fry in a large pan on both sides for 2 minutes in heated olive oil over medium heat. Transfer to a plate.
Step Two (Picture 2 above) - Heat olive oil over medium heat in the same pan. Cook and stir garlic and cilantro to release aroma.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) - Stir in tomato paste and vegetable broth. Season with seasoning blend.
Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Add the fish pieces back to the pan with the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and let the flavors come together for a few minutes over low heat.
Step Five (Picture 5 above) - Divide the fish and tomato sauce generously over 4 to 5 halves of sliced focaccia bread. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and extra red pepper flakes (optional).
Step Six (Picture 6 above) - Serve with a knife and fork. Enjoy your delicious cod sandwich with a simple green salad as the perfect side dish.
Helpful Tips
- If you can, remove the cod fish fillets from the fridge and let them rest for about 10 minutes before seasoning them and making this recipe.
- It's best to combine the spices for the tomato sauce in a small bowl before seasoning it.
- Double the ingredients if you plan to make it for a larger crowd or guests. Offer this chocolate coffee mouse or light mascarpone mousse as an after-dinner treat—desserts you can easily make in advance.
- If you're making it for kids, leave out the red pepper flakes if they can't handle it. However, the spice is mild.
- The fish and tomato sauce can also be served straight out of the pan with garlic crostini bread on the side.
Variations & Substitutions
- Bread substitute: If you don’t have focaccia, hoagie rolls or Italian bread can work for this recipe. You can also choose your preferred soft bun and make it your own.
- Other herbs: If you don't like cilantro, try fresh parsley.
- Add more spiciness: Sprinkle extra crushed red pepper flakes over the delicious fish sandwich for additional heat.
Recipe FAQs
Store any leftover tomato sauce with fish in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly over the stove with a drizzle of olive oil. Focaccia bread can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for longer storage.
Yes, you can use frozen cod fillets. Just make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry before cooking.
A simple green salad or roasted vegetables are lovely with this cod sandwich recipe.
Focaccia’s soft, airy texture and rich flavor make it an excellent bread choice. It provides a sturdy base without overpowering the delicate taste of the fish, and deliciously soaks up the tomato-based sauce.
More Recipes To Try Next
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Here is a simple yet incredibly flavorful cod sandwich on focaccia that's more than just a meal.
It’s a delightful combination of textures and flavors that brings a touch of Mediterranean to your table, whether you’re making it for a quick lunch or a special dinner. Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Cod Focaccia Sandwich With A Red Tomato Sauce
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 1 10-inch or similar cast-iron or heavy-bottom skillet
Ingredients
To Pan-fry the cod
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ pounds cod fish fillets, cut into smaller pieces about 680 grams
To Make the tomato sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to garnish
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus ¼ teaspoon, separated to drizzle on bread
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro 20 grams and more for garnish
- 1 (7-ounce-200 gram) can tomato paste
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- 2 large squared focaccia breads sliced in half, or more if needed
Instructions
- Pat the cod fillets very dry—season both sides with salt and black pepper and set aside.½ teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste
- Combine the seasoning for the tomato sauce in a small bowl until well blended and set aside.¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons paprika powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, divide the oil over the pan's surface.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Once the oil is hot and shiny (but not yet smoking), gently lower the fish into the oil.1 ½ pounds cod fish fillets, cut into smaller pieces
- Pan-fry undisturbed for 2 minutes on one side. Then, gently flip the cod over with a large spatula. The cod might stick a bit at first. Work gently and firmly. Then, pan-fry for another two minutes on the other side.
- Lower the heat and remove the fish from the pan with a spatula to a large plate. It's okay if larger parts break off. You're not trying to keep the fillets all in one piece.
- Change the heat back to medium. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pan. Add garlic and cilantro. Cook and stir for 20 seconds to release their aroma.3 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth, and season with the reserved seasoning blend.1 (7-ounce-200 gram) can tomato paste, ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- Add the fish back in and stir to combine with the seasoned tomato sauce.
- Change heat to low and let the flavors melt for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, place a slice of focaccia on 4 plates. Drizzle some olive oil over the sandwiches (optional and no more than ¼ teaspoon for all four).
- Spoon the cod and tomato mixture equally over each piece of bread and a bit onto the plate for a beautiful presentation.
- Garnish with extra chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes if you love it more spicy.
- Serve with utensils, and enjoy!
Notes
-
- If you can, remove the cod fish fillets from the fridge and let them rest for about 10 minutes before seasoning them and making this recipe.
-
- It's best to combine the spices for the tomato sauce in a small bowl before seasoning it.
-
- Double the ingredients if you plan to make it for a larger crowd or guests. Offer this chocolate coffee mouse or light mascarpone mousse as an after-dinner treat—desserts you can easily make in advance.
-
- If you're making it for kids, leave out the red pepper flakes if they can't handle it. However, the spice is mild.
-
- The fish and tomato sauce are also great served straight out of the pan with garlic crostini bread on the side.
-
- Storage: Store any leftover tomato sauce with fish in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly over the stove. Focaccia bread can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for longer storage.
-
- Bread substitute: If you don’t have focaccia, hoagie rolls or Italian bread can work for this recipe. You can also choose your preferred soft bun and make it your own.
-
- Other herbs: If you don't like cilantro, try fresh parsley.
-
- Add more spicyness: Sprinkle extra crushed red pepper flakes over the delicious fish sandwich for additional heat.
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Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
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