Published May 1, 2007. From Cook's Illustrated.
For a crunchy and delicious oven-fried fish recipe that would allow us to reap the nutritional benefits of the fish itself, we turned to Melba-toast crumbs, moistened with a little vegetable oil, for a crunchy coating. Oven-baking was the obvious choice over deep-fat frying; the fish became gold and crunchy when baked with vegetable cooking spray.
Catfish, trout, haddock, thick sole fillets, or tilapia can be substituted for the cod. Stay away from very delicate fillets or thick, meaty fish such as swordfish or tuna. If some of the pieces have thin, tapered ends, tuck them under before breading to prevent them from overcooking and drying out. Generously coat the fish with the Melba crumbs, but do not pile them on or they will not adhere to the fish; there will be crumbs left over. Serve with Tartar Sauce, (see related recipe).
This recipe was published in our cookbook The Best Light Recipe.
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