Name: Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon-Herb Topping
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 24 Ritz crackers, crushed into coarse crumbs (about 1 cup); 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves; 3 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 small cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon; 4 skinless cod fillets (about 2 pounds); Salt and pepper; Lemon wedges for serving

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted our Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon-Herb Topping recipe to yield tender, flaky, flavorful fish covered with crispy, crunchy bread crumbs. For the crispest coating, we used crushed Ritz crackers glued to the fish with mayonnaise flavored with garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. When we baked the fish in a very hot oven, the coating crisped up nicely, and the fish cooked quickly without drying out.

Before You Begin

Haddock, halibut, or bluefish fillets are good alternatives to cod. If some of the fish pieces are very thin, fold them in half to make thicker pieces. If you like, substitute dill or basil for the parsley.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease baking sheet with butter. Toss cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon parsley together in medium bowl. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon parsley, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in small bowl.

Pat fish dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Place on buttered baking sheet, spacing pieces about 1/2 inch apart. Brush tops and sides of fish with mayonnaise mixture, then press cracker crumbs into mayonnaise.

Bake until crumbs are golden brown and fish flakes apart with fork, about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.