Baked Cod with Lemon Garlic Crust
We didn’t eat seafood very often while I was growing up. My Southern Italian mother ironically hated fish, and tried to convince the rest of us we hated it just as much. The only guarantee my brother and I ever had to a delicious fish dinner, cooked by our own mother, was Lent.
During Lent, our mother had to cook fish every Friday. We sometimes managed to ”Catholic-guilt” her into cooking fish on Wednesdays, too, but Fridays were, without fail, fish day.
We were treated to the same simple dinner every Friday leading up to Easter Sunday: baked cod with crushed Ritz crackers, butter and lemon.
Back then, cod was one of the most abundant and least expensive varieties of fish on the market. These days, it’s a splurge at $14 or more per pound, but well worth the trip down memory lane with this updated version:
Baked Cod with Lemon Garlic Crust
Servings: Serves 4
Allergy Info: Soy-free; contains gluten, wheat, dairy, seafood
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leave parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 cups panko crumbs
2 lemons, zested then quartered
2 pounds wild cod fish filets
6 tablespoons butter, melted
salt and pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the olive oil, garlic, parsley and thyme to a large skillet and gently warm on low heat for 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the panko crumbs. Stir until the panko is well moistened and add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to toast the panko, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the cod pieces, side by side, in an oven-safe baking dish (preferably glass). Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Generously top each piece of fish with the panko crumbs, gently pressing them into the top of the fish. Evenly pour the melted butter over the panko crumbs.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the fish is opaque, but still moist, in the center. (factor about 10 minutes of baking time per 1″ thickness of fish)
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze lemon wedges over the fish before serving.
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>Hmmm… brings back so many fond memories for me, too. I'm going to make this Friday!
Love your food pics my mouth waters looking at every one of them
>Looks yummy!!
>Deeeeelicious!
>Cod is such a great versatile fish. With it's mild flavor and flaky texture it's sure to be a winner!