Description
Ina Garten’s baked cod with panko brings Mediterranean coastal flavors to home kitchens with crispy, golden breadcrumb coating. Delicate fish meets crunchy exterior, creating a simple yet elegant seafood dish you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cod fillets (center-cut, boneless, skinless, 6 to 8 oz each)
- 3 tbsps unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup Ritz cracker crumbs (15 crackers)
- ⅓ cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)
- ¼ cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
- 2 tbsps minced fresh parsley
- 2 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsps minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- good olive oil
- lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F, positioning rack in middle. Coat a 9×9-inch ceramic baking dish with olive oil by rotating the dish to ensure complete coverage.
- Fish Placement: Arrange cod fillets in the oiled dish, turning to coat both sides. Season generously with salt and ground black pepper.
- Initial Roasting: Bake cod for 10 minutes, allowing fish to release natural juices and begin cooking.
- Topping Creation: Mix Ritz crackers, panko breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl. Incorporate melted butter until mixture becomes slightly clumpy and well-combined.
- Flavor Enhancement: Remove fish from oven and drizzle with white wine and fresh lemon juice to intensify the delicate seafood flavor.
- Crumb Application: Carefully press the prepared crumb mixture onto each fillet, creating an even layer that will develop into a crispy, golden crust.
- Final Baking: Return dish to oven and continue baking for 12 minutes, or until fish turns completely opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and topping achieves a rich, golden-brown color.
Notes
- Precise Cooking Time: Strictly adhere to the 10-minute initial roasting and 12-minute topping bake to prevent overcooking the delicate cod.
- Oil Coverage Technique: Rotate the baking dish to ensure complete olive oil distribution, creating a non-stick surface and enhancing flavor absorption.
- Topping Texture Tip: Mix cracker and panko ingredients until they form a slightly clumpy consistency for maximum crispiness and better adherence to fish.
- Wine and Lemon Enhancement: Adding white wine and fresh lemon juice before the final bake intensifies the cod’s natural flavors and keeps the fish moist.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 355
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 570 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg