Fish on Friday: Crusted Haddock

Guys, I made a tasty, tasty, tasty crusted haddock on Friday, and it’s SO easy. Dustin and I have never had haddock before, so we blindly dove in not knowing what to expect. I could have Googled it, but sometimes it’s more fun to find out through trial and experimentation rather than knowing beforehand what to expect. I had got the impression it was something like tilapia or sea bass as so many recipes I have seen were interchangeable among these various white fish. And if I was wrong, well, it wouldn’t be the first time, lol.

I bought a bag of wild-caught frozen fillets from Hannaford the other day. Dustin is really into white fish lately, more so than lobster! So of course the wonderful wife that I am, I want to encourage his newfound healthful choices and am more than happy to make as much as he’d like.

I didn’t defrost them before I cooked them; they were individually vacuum-sealed, so I just ran them under a bit of water before I popped them in the oven. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees F, then put the fillets in a baking dish lined with nonstick foil because who doesn’t love easy cleanup after a long day?

After they had been in the oven for about 8 minutes, I took them out, drizzled extra virgin olive oil over mine, butter over Dustin’s, and then sprinkled a simple gluten-free rice breadcrumb mixture over the top and patted it on with my hands.

The rice breadcrumbs I used were made with just rice, sugar, and sea salt, then I mixed in Italian herbs, a bit of black pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder to zest it up a smidge.

The oil and butter helped the breadcrumbs stick without needing an egg wash. I was going for just a light top crust, about 2 TBSP worth total.

After the breadcrumbs were added, I continued cooking them for an additional 12-14 minutes. Check for when they’re browned and crispy on top and the fish is firm but flaky. That’s when they’re done.

I was coming off of a 20-hour intermittent fast, so I ate my salad while the rest of the meal cooked.

Butter lettuce + radicchio mix topped with diced plum tomato, sweet vidalia onion, EVOO, red wine vinegar, pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of raw honey. The touch of sweetness was marvelous!

Meanwhile, Yukon gold potatoes were boiling and green beans were steaming. I tossed the string beans in extra virgin coconut oil, pink Himalayan salt, and black pepper after I microwave steamed them. Simple and delicious, just how I like it!

Nothing on my boiled potato except a light sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt and a generous sprinkle of black pepper.

Best dinner of the week! I loved it. Dustin loved it. Definitely going to make this again and again and again x infinity. I LOVE extra virgin coconut oil on steamed veggies! It adds a bit of sweetness that’s way tastier than extra virgin olive oil. And if you’re avoiding dairy, it’s a great butter alternative.

We didn’t do anything to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but I did eat lots of green foods all week and I wore a green short yesterday because I’m festive like that.

It is very, very hard to take mirror pics with a DSLR camera in your hand! They’re not designed for flinging around like a cell phone camera, haha. I’m sure I make some professional photographers tear up when they see how I abuse handle my DSLR.

We also went to the mall to pick up Dustin’s contacts that came in, and I bought 2 pairs of shoes from DSW! I’ll post pics of them in my next post. Then, we headed to PetSmart for pet supplies and Home Depot for paint. Home Depot is freakin’ HUGE. I think a few laps around and down all the aisles could count as a workout for the day, ha!

Such a gorgeous day outside! I haven’t been out there, but from the window I see it and feel the cool spring breeze.

We have a lot on our agendas this week, including a doctor visit, a Ron Paul meetup to make campaign signs, a pedicure, and a tango with Aunt Flo. Clearly, some things will be more fun than others!

Tagged as: crusted haddock, dinner, fish, gluten-free, green, haddock, seafood, St. Patrick's Day