My husband and I spent another day fishing the lagoon with our kayaks. We got there extremely early in the morning this time, where the air was so calm – it was easier to get around where we wanted to be. And it was the perfect time that all the bait fish were jumping – we knew there were bigger fish to be caught. Sure enough, not too long into our couple hour adventure, my husband caught a beautiful Red just under the slot limit.
Baked Parmesan encrusted Red Fish
That monster fish screamed dinner in my ears. And after hearing lately about the pre-cut fish and pre-peeled shrimp slave labor and human trafficking ordeal with our fish trade, I was distraught. Not that I would ever buy frozen seafood from the grocery, but I couldn’t bear to know that’s the world we live in. If you haven’t read about it – please do. So if you’re going to seafood, get it fresh from a fish market (not frozen), and peel your own shrimp for God’s sake.
With that, I definitely can’t feel as bad eating the fish we catch with our bare hands. And besides, more fun, too. It feels almost primal, in a sense, and I love it. And in the bigger scheme of things – it was basically a free fish. So here again, I’m honoring this Red by creating a very simple, yet tasty and healthy meal. You can really use any white fish with this recipe, but if you can get your hands on Red Fish I highly recommend it. Feast your eyes on this decadent baked parmesan encrusted Red Fish, ya’ll.
Baked Parmesan Encrusted Red Fish
Ingredients
- 2 filets Red Fish
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 whole Lemon
- 1/4 cup Fresh parsley Chopped
- 1 Egg
- 1/3 cup Bread crumbs or Panko Seasoned/Unseasoned
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Shredded/Grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a flat baking sheet with foil for the fish, or simply place the fish in a glass baking dish with a light coating of olive oil or butter.
- Lightly season the filets with salt and pepper using your hands.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl. Whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, add your bread crumbs or panko with the fresh parsley and minced garlic.
- Using a marinade brush, apply the egg wash mixture to the each filet. You can also dunk your filets into the egg mixture if you prefer. You may not use all of the egg wash, but apply it generously. Then coat your filets in the bread crumb/panko mixture. **If you have enough ingredients, you may repeat the egg and bread crumb process for extra coated goodness!
- Place filets on the baking sheet or dish. Then sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on top of the filets.
- Place filets into the oven and allow to cook for 22 minutes. If your filets are more than 1 inch in thickness, they need more cook time. The general rule of thumb is about 20 mins for every inch of thickness, or check with a fork – if inserted easily, the fish is done.
- Squeeze half a lemon over top once removed from the oven, and serve immediately. Enjoy!