Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic

Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic is one of those dishes, so simple and so quick, that you won’t quite believe just how good it is.

Fillets of fish such as haddock or cod are baked with a coating of buttery breadcrumbs. Here I’ve suggested flavouring the crumbs with Parmesan, lemon and garlic, but you can really flavour them however you like.

Into the oven and 10-15 minutes later you’ve moist, perfectly baked fish in a crispy crumb coating.

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I’ve been so remiss not getting a recipe for crumbed baked fish on the blog sooner.

First off, although I eat fish or seafood at least twice a week, I’m very aware that there’s far fewer fish and seafood recipes on the blog than there should be.

Secondly, this dish is so good it’s bordering on criminal that I haven’t posted the recipe.

Thirdly and fourthly, it’s simple and quick.

To my shame, I even mentioned this dish in one of my monthly round-ups as a reminder to myself to get on with it.

But I have to admit that I do have a tendency to get distracted by new things: ingredients, recipes etc. I then get excited about wanting to share those, even though there’s plenty of older, good stuff that I still need to put out there.

Anyway, here, at last, is Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic.

Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic

You can really use an quick-cooking fish you like for this dish.

Get the latest sustainability advice from the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide

My favourites are haddock or cod, especially naturally smoked haddock. But, please, none of that garishly dyed bright yellow stuff.

If I have large fillets like the one above, then I’ll cut it into smaller portions. You’ll want around 150-180g of fish per person.

After greasing a shallow ovenproof dish with butter, you simply add the fish pieces and season them with a little salt and pepper.

For the topping, you’ll need breadcrumbs. I always turn odds and ends of homemade bread into breadcrumbs and freeze them, or freeze as they are so I can make either crumbs or croutons as needed.

But it’s a real boon having the crumbs already in the freezer, ready for quick meals like this.

The breadcrumbs are mixed with melted butter, a little olive oil, plus your choice of seasonings. And that’s where the fun starts.

For this recipe, I’ve used lemon zest, finely grated Parmesan cheese, garlic granules (use fresh if you prefer) and black pepper.

To experiment with other flavourings, try:

• smoked paprika
• curry spices
• chilli flakes
• cumin
• dried herbs such as oregano or rosemary

Once you’ve flavoured the breadcrumbs, all you do is press them onto the tops of the fish then bang it in the oven.

I do like plenty of crumbs so if there’s more than can fit on the fillets, I just scatter them in the dish anyway.

I cook the fish quite high and quickly, at 220C / 200C Fan / Gas 7. This ensures the crumb gets good and crispy without overcooking the fish.

Depending on the thickness of your fish, it should be perfectly done within 10-15 minutes. To see if it’s done, I poke a knife in the thickest bit and see if the flesh has turned from raw and translucent to opaque and flaky.

SERVING

You’ll want to serve the fish straight away while the crumb is delectably crispy. I like a scattering of fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top.

No doubt you have your own favourite accompaniments for simple fish dishes like this. And I’ll bet for lots of you it will be some form of potato plus peas.

Homemade chips? Baked wedges? Creamy mash? All these are good, but for a real treat I like mini skin-on roast potatoes with bacon and melted cheese!

For me, that good old standby frozen peas also has to feature. Of course I understand that for some of you it would be sacrilege not to have mushy peas.

But however you eat this crumbed baked fish, crunchy on the outside, moist within, I think you’ll agree that it makes an incredibly quick, easy and delicious fish dinner.

Have you made Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic?

Leave a comment & don’t forget to rate the recipe.

5 from 1 vote

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Crumbed Baked Fish with Parmesan, Lemon & Garlic

So simple & quick: fish in a buttery, crispy coating flavoured with Parmesan, lemon & garlic or your own favourite seasonings (see Recipe Notes for suggestions).

Course Main Course, Fish

Cuisine British, World

Keyword quick, easy

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 25 g butter plus extra for greasing
• 2 fillets skinless, boneless fish (150-180g each) eg. cod, pollock, haddock, smoked haddock
• salt & black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 40 g breadcrumbs
• 20 g Parmesan cheese finely grated
• 2 tsp garlic granules or 1 large clove of garlic very finely chopped
• 1 small lemon zest finely grated
• ½ tbsp chopped parsley optional

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C Fan/ Gas 7

2. Grease the bottom of a shallow baking dish with some of the butter.

3. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper then put in the baking dish in a single layer.

4. Put the remaining butter and the olive oil in a small saucepan over a low heat until the butter is melted.

5. While the butter's melting, take a bowl and mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and some black pepper.

6. Stir the melted butter and olive oil through the breadcrumb mixture so that everything is coated in the fat.

7. Press the breadcrumbs all over the tops of the fish. Scatter over any remaining crumbs.

8. Bake in the oven until the fish is cooked all the way through and the crumb topping is crispy (10-15 min).

   Check to see if the fish is done by inserting a knife into the thickest part: the flesh should have turned from raw and translucent to opaque and flaky.

9. Serve straight away, with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon if liked.

Recipe Notes

Other flavourings for the breadcrumbs you might like to try include: smoked paprika, cumin, curry spices, chilli flakes, dried herbs such as oregano or rosemary.

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