Breaded Cod
Ingredients:
4 slices of hearty white sandwich bread - torn into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup all purpose flour (step 7) plus 5 tablespoons all purpose flour (step 9)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayo
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)
1 small shallot, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
1 1/4 pounds cod - cut into four pieces
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In food processor, add bread, butter, salt, and pepper.
3. Pulse bread and butter mix until bread is coarsely ground
4. Transfer crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet
5. Bake about 15 minutes - stir occasionally
6. Let crumbs cool. (Crumbs can be stored at room temperature up to three days)
7. In a shallow dish, spread 1/4 cup flour.
8. In a second shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, mayo, along with the optional paprika and horseradish.
9. Whisk in the 5 tablespoons flour in with the egg and mayo mix.
10. In a third shallow dish, mix together the bread crumbs, the parsley, and the optional shallot.
At this point, you should have three bowls.
Bowl 1 - the flour mix
Bowl 2 - the egg mix
Bowl 3 - the bread mix
Putting it all together
11. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
12. Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
13. Pat the cod dry with paper towels.
14. Take 1 fillet of fish at a time
15. Dredge the fillet in the flour mix (cover it completely with flour).
16. Dip the flour-covered fillet in the egg mix.
17. Coat with the fillet with the bread crumbs - pressing gently to adhere.
18. Place the fillet on the wire rack.
19. Repeat steps 13-18 for each piece of cod.
20. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until fish reaches a temperature of 140 degrees.
21. Transfer fillets to plates and enjoy!!
22. Remember to give thanks to God before you eat as well!! =).
Mark's Notes
The original recipe only lists horseradish as optional. I didn't have horseradish, paprika, or shallot so I made it without those. I'm quite certain it would have more flavor with those added.
The only mistake I made was I added the parsley to the egg mix rather than to the bread crumbs. Didn't make a huge difference.
The original recipe says to use 1/4 cup flour for coating the cod. When I got done, I was adding a bit more flour to thoroughly coat the cod with flour. That is why I added the note in the ingredients that it can be 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup flour.
Mark's Story
We were at a restaurant (don't remember which one), and Abby places her order and says she wants the cod. I looked at her and asked her if she liked cod. She told me she liked the breaded cod. She discovered she liked breaded cod at a Chinese buffet. She liked it. (she actually thought she was getting chicken but she learned it was cod and decided she liked it). So, I decided to make breaded cod for her. I went diving into my cookbooks and found a recipe. This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen - The New Family Cookbook.
I've never breaded any food before. So, while making the cod, I learned how to bread just about anything now. Cover it in flour, dip it in an egg mix, then coat with the breading.
Trish says it was awesome. Abby really liked it and it is now one of her favorite dinners. Miriam said she liked it but she only took 2 or 3 bites and only ate the breading. We'll be having this for dinner again.
No, I don't have a picture. By the time I'm done preparing the food, we are hungry and ready to eat and I forget to take so much as a few seconds and take a picture. I'll have to remember to get a picture next time I make this.
from America's Test Kitchen - The New Family Cookbook. Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish, pp. 252-253.
