I like making fish on Mondays because Tuesday is garbage day. Today I purchased Norwegian cod fillets, which were firm and moist. I wanted the indulgence of fried fish without the calories and mess of frying - toasting the panko in a pan first with garlic and shallots accomplished this beautifully.
This whole process took me about an hour – really utilizing the long-ish cook time for the fish to get the accompanying elements ready. Enjoy!
Fish preparation adapted from Cook’s Country’s Baked Fish recipe.
Serves 2, with leftover lentils/greens.
For the fish:
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (could substitute oil)
½ large shallot, minced
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless cod, haddock, or halibut fillets, 1 to 1 ½ inches thick
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs for garnish (parsley, oregano, chives, basil)
lemon wedges for serving
For the greens:
1 bunch collard greens
1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon olive or other neutral oil (such as avocado)
salt and pepper
For the lentils:
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 ¼ cups low sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon olive or other neutral oil
pinch of chili flakes
pepper
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add panko and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer panko mixture to shallow dish and let cool for 10 minutes.
Whisk mayonnaise, egg yolk, lemon zest, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Coat tops of fillets evenly with mayonnaise mixture. Working with 1 fillet at a time, dredge coated side in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere, and place fish crumb side up on prepared wire rack.
Bake until centers are just opaque and fish registers 135 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
While the fish is baking, prepare the lentils. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add lentils and stir to coat, toasting for 1 minute. Add broth, wine, chili flakes, and pepper, and stir. Reduce to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until broth has mostly been absorbed.
Prepare the collard greens. Wash the leaves and shake to dry. Trim the stem to where the leaf begins. Stack all leaves together and roll vertically, with the stem in the center. Make ½ inch slices horizontally, resulting in ribbons.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add collard green ribbons and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally, approximately 5-8 minutes.
Plate it up! I chose to put the greens down first, then lentils, and fish on top. Top the fish with fresh herbs of your choice (I used basil) and serve with lemon wedges.