Baked citrus spice fish * what “white fish” is

Dave M’s Citrus Spice Baked Fish

2 white fish fillets

oil for pan

salt and pepper

about 1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1-2 tsp citrus spice mixture (I use Badia Mojo Rub “citrus blend”)

1 tsp garlic powder (if spice mixture isn’t garlicky)

bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Oil a baking sheet lightly. Salt and pepper the fish fillets on both sides. Mix the mayonnaise and spice mixture in a small bowl and spread on the fish (both sides). Mix the bread crumbs with garlic powder (if using) and more salt and pepper if desired, and sprinkle mixture over the mayonnaise. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Welcome to the Real Life Cooking Podcast. I’m Kate Shaw and this week we’re going to learn how to cook fish! I don’t eat a lot of fish because I’ve never cared for ocean fish, and until my friend Dave gave me this recipe, I never knew how to reliably cook fresh water fish so that it had consistently good flavor.

Dave lives in Scotland so he uses something called Sumac, which he describes as a citrusy spice. I only know sumac as a poisonous shrub that grows wild on hillsides, and while I’m sure I could order the spice called sumac online, my local Walmart definitely doesn’t carry it. I bought a spice blend called “Badia Mojo Rub Citrus Blend” to use instead and was happy with it. If they want to give me money for advertising their spice blend I will accept it with dignity.

This recipe is really easy. I’ve made it a couple of times now and it turns out great every time. The fish is tender and flavorful and prep time only takes a few minutes.

You’ll need a baking sheet and a small bowl. First, turn on your oven to preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then rub a little vegetable oil on the baking sheet so the fish won’t stick.

You will also need fish, of course. White fish just means any inexpensive, mild fish. It doesn’t have to be a particular kind. I buy tilapia because it’s a readily available, inexpensive river fish (and I didn’t know it was a river fish until I started fishing them up from rivers in Animal Crossing), but if I can find locally caught trout or catfish I’ll definitely try them too. The recipe also specifies fillets, so don’t get whole fish unless you know how to fillet them. I do not know how to fillet fish. When I was 16 I made a pest of myself asking my uncle Sean to teach me how while my family was at the beach, but he never got around to it. He did teach me how to clean shrimp, though.

Anyway, get out the fish fillets and salt and pepper them on both sides. Then, in your small bowl, mix about a Tablespoonful of mayonnaise with whatever citrus spice or spice blend you have. The citrus is the real trick, because it goes so well with fish and enhances the mild flavor of the meat. The mayo helps the spice stick to the fish and keeps the fish from drying out in the oven.

Spread the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of the fish. I usually just work on the baking sheet, but if you want to put the fish on a plate and then move it to the baking sheet when you’re ready to put it in the oven, that works too. I use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture on the fish.

Next, you will need bread crumbs. I use Panko crumbs because they stay crispy. If the spice mix you used isn’t garlicky, or if you just love lots of garlic, mix about a third of a cup of bread crumbs with about a teaspoonful of garlic powder, and you can also add more salt and pepper if you like. As it happens, the citrus blend I use is nicely garlicky so I don’t mix anything with the Panko. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture generously over the fish, then flip the pieces over and sprinkle the other side. Then, if the fish isn’t already on the baking sheet, move it there because it’s ready to go. Look how easy that was! The oven may not e