This recipe for baked cod is easy, quick, and tasty. For the ideal 10 meal, the fish is roasted in butter and served with lemon juice, white wine, and buttery crackers. Our favorite dish from a nearby restaurant is this one. Serve with rice pilaf and garlic-garnished spinach. Yummy!
The lemony, buttery cracker topping that contrasts well with the flaky, delicate fish gives this baked cod its wow factor. It’s an elegant dish that can be prepared quickly and affordably using basic ingredients, making it suitable for formal dinner parties and hectic weeknights.
What Makes This Recipe a Perfect Ten?
Cod is a mild, inexpensive fish, but this recipe turns it into a salty, buttery, herbaceous seafood meal fit for a restaurant menu. Cod loins are baked in melted butter before being covered with a lemon-wine-cracked-cookie topping and baked again. The buttery crumb topping combines with the melted butter during baking to produce a thicker, rich sauce that may be spooned over the fish. This meal doesn’t require plating because the crumb topping provides plenty of eye appeal. Serve it straight from the baking dish with lemon wedges, parsley, and green onions.
Cod Loins vs. Cod Fillets
The thickest part of the fillet, or the center section, is used to create cod loin, regarded as the best cod cut. It cooks more evenly than typical cod fillets and is typically more moist and succulent. Additionally, cod loins are offered in smaller pieces for sale, making them simpler to handle. On the other hand, cod fillets are vertical cuts from the body and are frequently too large for a single serving. In this recipe, cod loins can be swapped out for fillets; just make sure to adjust the cooking time if your fillet is huge.
How Long to Bake Cod?
Cod loins are cooked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). If you’d like, you may use a meat thermometer to check if your fish is cooked through; the USDA suggests cooking fish to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Depending on the size and thickness of your fillet, you might need to cook a large cod fillet longer than you would a cod loin.
Can You Use Frozen Cod?
Cod can be baked straight from the freezer. Depending on the size of your fish, increase the cooking time by around 50% (7–10 minutes).
What Is the Best Wine to Use?
A dry, light white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or unoaked Chardonnay is what we advise. These will enhance the flavor of the food without overpowering it. Conversely, steer clear of oaky, rich white wines like oaky Chardonnay. Additionally, there’s no need to spend much money on a fancy wine because it will lose its delicate flavors when cooked.
What to Serve With Baked Cod
Unlike many seafood recipes, this baked fish is flavorful, so simple, moderate side dishes are best. Pam, the recipe’s originator, advises combining this meal with rice pilaf and sautéed spinach. Other straightforward side dish suggestions include sauteed green beans, quinoa, roasted carrots, and potato wedges.
Ingredients
- Split into 4 tablespoons of butter.
- 12 sleeves of crushed buttery round crackers (like Ritz®).
- 1 pound of cod loin, thickly cut
- Juiced half a medium lemon
- 4 ml of dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
- green onion, chopped, 1 tbsp
- Cut one medium lemon into wedges.
Directions
- Assemble all the components.
- The oven should be preheated to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- In a bowl that can go in the microwave, put 2 teaspoons of butter. Melt for roughly 30 seconds on high in the microwave. Melted butter is added to buttery round crackers.
- A 7×11-inch baking dish should be filled with the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter. Melt for 1 to 3 minutes in the preheated oven. Dish from the oven.
- Cover the cod on both sides in the baking dish with melted butter.
- Cod should be baked for 10 minutes in a preheated oven. Remove from oven; sprinkle cracker mixture, wine, and lemon juice on top. Once more, bake the fish for about 10 more minutes or until it is opaque and flakes readily with a fork.
- Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley and green onions.
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