Baked Cod With Buttery Cracker Topping

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Jan. 27, 2022

Baked Cod With Buttery Cracker Topping
Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(2,170)
Comments
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Baked, stuffed fish is an old-school restaurant staple in New England; covered in lemony, butter-soaked cracker crumbs, it’s a wonderful way to eat mild white fish like cod or haddock. The dish has a long history and relies on two ingredients New Englanders have in abundance: fresh seafood and crackers, which are descended from sailors’ hardtack. Fannie Farmer’s 1896 “Boston Cooking-School Cook Book” has a recipe for cracker-stuffed halibut, seasoned with butter, salt, pepper and onion juice. Some modern versions use saltines, others use butter crackers like Ritz, and many enrich the crackers with crab meat. This recipe is an easy weeknight variation: Instead of rolling the fish up around the stuffing, which requires long, thin filets, it is generously covered in the stuffing and roasted until the cracker topping is toasted and the fish flakes.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 
  • 4ounces butter-flavored crackers, such as Ritz (about 1½ sleeves; 1½ cups crushed)
  • 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
  • ¼cup minced fresh chives
  • ¼cup minced flat-leaf parsley
  • ½lemon, zest and juice, plus more lemon wedges for serving
  • 1teaspoon onion powder
  • 1teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4(6- to 8-ounce) fillets of cod, haddock, halibut or other white fish
  • Coarse kosher salt and black pepper 
  • Sweet paprika, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

476 calories; 25 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 43 grams protein; 609 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the crackers in a medium bowl and use your hand to crush them until they are finely crushed. (Some coarser bits are OK.) Add 4 tablespoons of the melted butter, the chives, parsley, lemon zest and onion and garlic powders, and stir to evenly combine, making sure to moisten all the crumbs.

  2. Step 2

    Put the fish fillets in a large, ovenproof skillet. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over the fish and turn to coat. Season the fish on all sides with salt and pepper. Mound the cracker mixture on top of the fish, covering it. (Some cracker crumbs will fall off the fish.)

  3. Step 3

    Roast in the oven for 10 to 16 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Plan for about 10 minutes per inch; the fish should flake easily, and the juices should be bubbly around the edges. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Sprinkle with paprika, and serve with extra lemon wedges on the side.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,170 user ratings
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Comments

CFXK

Growing up in Boston, I had no idea that cod could be served in any other way.

Karen B

Memories of Friday night dinners in the 60’s and early 70’s. Mom only used frozen rectangles of flounder, but the buttered cracker crumbs, they were the real treat.

Carolyn

Fantastic - made the topping with crushed Club crackers and extra lemon zest. Choice of fish was Chilean Sea Bass, which elevated the whole thing - simply scrumptious with a salad and a glass of dry Riesling.

LV

Made with the adjustment of reducing the onion and garlic powder by half as a result of some of the comments. It was a delicious and comforting meal served with rice and great beans. Simple but delicious!

T

Second time I made this I accidentally added the lemon juice with the lemon zest for the crumb topping. Worked great!

CR

Spread the cod with some Hellman's mayo, light hand with seasoned salt & freshly ground pepper, panko, a nice sprinkle of paprika. On an oiled caste iron skillet, cook briefly on stovetop, then 10 minutes in 400 degree oven, then a scant 2 minutes broil for color (watch it doesn't scorch). Serve with lemon wedges. Cod is delicate - all that garlic & onion powder/herbs is overwhelming, and so much butter/buttery processed crackers is overkill.

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