New England Baked Cod

1Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 200°C.
2. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper.
3. Crush the crackers in a bag with a rolling pin into coarse crumbs.
4. Mix the cracker crumbs with the melted butter, garlic and parsley.

2Cooking

1. Place the fish in a lightly buttered baking dish and pour over the lemon juice.
2. Spread the crumb mixture over each piece, pressing lightly, then dust with paprika.
3. Bake until the fish is opaque white and flakes easily with a fork and the topping is golden and crisp.

   ♨️ oven 200°C⏱ 18 min timer

3Serving

1. Lift each piece onto the plate with a wide spatula so it stays whole.
2. Serve with lemon wedges and coleslaw or boiled potatoes.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: leaving the fish in until it dries out. Take it out as soon as it flakes when pressed with a fork at the thickest part.
• Choose pieces of even thickness so they cook together; thin fillets need only 10–12 minutes.
• If the fish is done before the topping browns, switch on the oven grill for a minute or two, watching closely.

🔁 Substitutions

• Dry breadcrumbs with an extra spoon of butter can replace the crackers.
• Any thick white fish such as grouper or snapper works well.