I love love love fish, and when I can get my hands on Orange Roughy, it’s a gamechanger! My Mom bought it a couple years back at Trader Joe’s and we had never had it before. I remember the taste was succulent and meaty, much more so than your run of the mill tilapia. I also stole a page from my Mom’s book on this panko basil topping. It is so crunchy and adds so much texture to the fish, not to mention it can be used for toppings on so many other dishes (mac ‘n cheese anyone!?!). We picked these filets up at the Fish Market in DC, and I cooked it that same day. There’s something so much cooler about going to a “market” to get your ingredients, I almost feel like I grew/harvested/caught the things myself, though my boyfriend will tell you I’m way too impatient for any of that! The fish monger told us that this fish was caught in New Zealand, and although I like to stick to locally caught, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get this fish back in my life.
Enjoy this track from Kings of Leon’s new album. I may or may not have been listening to this song non stop for the past few weeks, the chorus is just so damn catchy!
- 2 filets of Orange Roughy or any white fish
- 3 tbs panko bread crumbs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Place the filets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle some evoo on them and rub it in to be sure the seasoning will stick.
- Sprinkle half of the salt, pepper, and cayenne directly on the fish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the panko, basil, and the rest of the salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Drizzle in evoo until the mixture starts to resemble wet sand.
- Spread the panko mixture on each filet.
- Cook for 25 minutes, and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes to get the panko golden and crispy.
