Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish

I have a paid subscription to America's Test Kitchen's website.  I'm glad that I do, because had I not watched the episode that shows the fish being made-- well, I might have skipped trying this recipe.  Other than salmon, my husband doesn't get excited about eating fish.  My son, on the other hand, loves fish. 

Last weekend, my husband left for his annual camping/hiking trip in the Sierras.  My son was home, on a rare night off. I took advantage of the opportunity to make a seafood dinner for him. Fortunately, wild-caught Pacific Cod was on sale. I'll jump ahead and tell you, that we both loved this dinner.

To make the crunchy coating, start with three pieces of white bread.  In a food processor, season them with salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter. Pulse until they are coarsely ground.

Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and bake (at 350F) until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Cool crumbs to room temperature, about 10 minutes.NOTE: The bread crumbs can be made up to 3 days in advance, cooled, and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

While the crumbs were cooling, I set up the breading station for the fish.  In a pie plate, add about 1/4 flour.
In another pie plate, whisk eggs, horseradish (if using), mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until combined. NOTE: I didn't add the horseradish, though I love it. My husband and son despite horseradish. 

Whisk in  5 tablespoons flour until smooth.  The batter becomes quite thick.

The cooled breadcrumbs are seasoned with shallots and fresh parsley.  NOTE: I don't recommend substituting yellow or white onion for the shallots. Shallots have a milder heat, and are a shade of sweet. I think onions would overpower the flavor of the coating. 

 Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place on a  rimmed baking sheet, and turn the oven up to 425F.

 Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. 

I have my breading station ready-- flour, the egg/flour batter and the seasoned bread crumbs. 

Dredge a piece of fish with the flour, and shake off the excess. 

  nopin = "nopin"

With one hand, coat the fish into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, coating all sides. With the other hand, gently press the coating mixture. NOTE: Doing this, and photographing it, was a true challenge.

Transfer breaded fish to wire rack. Repeat with the remaining  fillets.

Bake fish until and instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of fillets registers 140 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. NOTE:  I should have checked these about about 15 minutes, as they cooked a bit more than I wanted them to.

Dinner at home, with my son, is served.  We both enjoyed a glass of white wine, and one-one-one conversation,  with our meal.

VERDICT:  While the fish was baking, the aroma made us really hungry.  I think that this recipe is kid-friendly. Seriously. The fish coating had a perfect "crunch" to it, and no sogginess at all.  The flavor of the shallots had transformed to a sweet note, with a very mild flavor of onion.  We both agreed that we did not need a tartar sauce, but just a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. I thought the fish was a teensy bit dry, but my son didn't. My advice is to watch the temperature of the fish very closely!  The crispy oven-roasted potatoes were a perfect side dish that I made along side the baked chicken.  Here's how I did it:

I par-cooked new potatoes until just barely fork tender (about 7 minutes), then drained them. While the potatoes were boiling, and the bread crumbs were toasting, I heated my cast iron skillet in the oven.  Once the potatoes were drained, I drizzled a little olive oil, salt and pepper and tossed them evenly.  Once I removed the skillet, I added a small pat of unsalted butter, added the potatoes and roasted them at 425F (along side  the rack of fish).  I had some left over chopped parsley that I added at the very end.  The spuds were crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside.

My son had a second helping, and raved how good this was.

I had to agree.  This is as good-- if not better-- than deep fried fish.  It's also a lot less fattening, too!  I am very tempted to try this coating with zucchini sticks.  I think it would make delicious baked zucchini.   A printable recipe card is at the end of this post.

Who is the Fairy Hobmother?  Fairy Hobmother's home is “Appliances Online,  who sell dishwashers and other white goods”.  The Fairy Hobmother saw me leave a comment on "My Carolina Kitchen's" blog and I was given a lovely gift card from Amazon.com!    All you need to do is leave a comment on my blog, and you could receive a surprise!  Thank you Fairy Hobmother, because I love cookbooks and I have a long wish list on Amazon.