Baked cod & potatoes

Name: Baked cod & potatoes
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 adults and 1 baby
Ingredients: 3 skinless cod fillets; 4 medium potatoes; 1 medium zucchini (courgette); 1–2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

A one-tray dinner of soft potato wedges, zucchini spears and flaky baked cod, checked for every bone. Contains fish: offer it once your baby has had fish on its own.

From: 6 months
Time: 50 min
Makes: 2 adults and 1 baby

Contains fish

Ingredients

3skinless cod filletsabout 120 g (4 oz) each; thawed in the fridge if frozen
4 mediumpotatoesabout 700 g (1½ lb)
1 mediumzucchini (courgette)
1–2 tbspolive or vegetable oil

Steps

1Wash your hands. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Scrub the potatoes under running water, peel them and cut away any green or sprouting parts. Cut them into wedges about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). Rinse the zucchini, trim the ends and cut it lengthwise into spears the same size, leaving the skin on for grip.
2Toss the wedges with most of the oil on a lined baking tray, cover the tray with foil and bake for 20 minutes, so they steam soft. Remove the foil, turn the wedges and bake for 10 minutes more.
3Move the wedges to the sides, add the zucchini spears and put the cod in the middle of the tray. Brush the fish and zucchini with the rest of the oil. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the cod is opaque, flakes easily and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part, and a knife slides through the wedges and spears with no resistance. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw fish. Don't add salt.
4Let the cod cool a little, then pull your baby's portion apart with your fingers, feeling every flake for bones and removing any bone and skin you find. Fillets sold as boneless can still hide small bones.
5Trim any crisp or browned edges off the wedges. Squash a wedge and a zucchini spear between your thumb and finger: they should squash easily, zucchini skin included. If the skin stayed tough, peel it off your baby's spears. Check everything is only just warm before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Once your baby has had fish on its own without a reaction, offer large soft flakes of cod, a couple of potato wedges and a zucchini spear, each about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in). Or, just before serving, mash the cod into the potato with a little breast milk or formula and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.

9 months+

Offer small boneless flakes of cod no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), with potato and zucchini chopped to the same size, or keep offering soft wedges to bite.

12 months+

Serve the family meal, with cod, potato and zucchini in bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Keep checking the cod for bones; they're easy to miss.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

Cod is on the FDA/EPA 'Best choices' list for low mercury. The FDA advice is for children aged 1 and older: for ages 1 to 3, a serving is about 1 oz (28 g), 2 servings a week from that list. It doesn't give a serving size for babies under 12 months.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS counts cod as a white fish and sets no maximum for it. Children under 16 shouldn't have shark, swordfish or marlin. Baked fish is a healthier choice than fried.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains fish. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Best eaten fresh. Cool leftovers quickly and keep them in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze the flaked cod and potato wedges for 3 to 4 months (zucchini goes watery when frozen). Freeze them unmashed, and mash your baby's portion after reheating. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge and eat them within 24 hours of thawing. Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl, and any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

For the grown-ups

Take your baby's cod, wedges and zucchini out first, before any salt goes on. Then season the adults' portions with salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, and serve with peas or a green salad.