Baked Fish

Baked fish

It was a good shopping day for red snapper so I used it in this recipe. I added parmesan cheese to my bread mixture and served it with asparagus and buttered orzo pasta topped with parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds fish fillets, such as haddock, cod, catfish, pollock, or similar mild white fish, cut into 4-ounce to 6-ounce portions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup bread crumbs (used Italian flavored bread crumbs)

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

1? teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Lemon wedges, for serving

Heat the oven to 425 F. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or rub with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the fish pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a wide bowl, combine the your favorite seasoned bread crumbs and the parsley. Put the flour in a shallow plate. In another wide bowl, whisk the eggs or egg substitute with the Cajun seasonings and mayonnaise. Dip the fish fillets in the plain flour, coating each piece thoroughly. Dip the flour-coated fillets in the egg mixture and then coat them with the bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly to help crumbs adhere to the fish. Repeat with the remaining fish. Arrange the fish on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 16 to 20 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. The time in the oven depends on thickness, so adjust for very thin or very thick fish fillets. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce or remoulade sauce.

Variations:

Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a dash of your favorite hot pepper sauce to the egg mixture for additional spicy flavor. Replace the Creole seasoning with a seasoned salt blend or salt-free seasoning. Sprinkle the fish fillets lightly with garlic powder along with the salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs.

— Barbara Rexford