Broiled or Baked Fish?

January 5, 2012 5:55 PM

The best broiled/baked fish recipes, please.

I'm gonna go tilt at the fish windmill again, in search of something good. Hit me with your best fish recipes that are broiled or baked. Don't wanna sauté or fry or poach anything for the time being.

Fish with fins, please. I already loves me the mollusks and crustaceans, no worries there.

Bonus points if the fish are of the preferred, sustainable Seafood Watch varieties.

posted by Cool Papa Bell to food & drink (17 answers total)

Here's my favorite way of preparing mahi-mahi: Baked Mahi Mahi Recipe.

I've done this with the frozen steaks they sell at Whole Foods (thawed first of course) and it turns out great. Wrapping it in foil keeps it from drying out. According to FishWatch, mahi-mahi is not overfished.
posted by wondermouse at 6:11 PM on January 5, 2012

Maple salmon. Wonderful for bringing out the best in wild-caught Alaskan sockeye, meeting your criteria. Triple or quadruple the garlic in the recipe at minimum, and use real maple syrup, please.
posted by vers at 6:25 PM on January 5, 2012 [2 favorites]

Mix chopped walnuts and crumbled bacon into your favorite brown mustard. Spread it over a white fish of your choice and bake until done.
posted by valkyryn at 6:49 PM on January 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

This is not at all a trendy modern recipe, but I like it a lot anyway. It's from my mother's old cookbook and has been around for at least 40 years, probably longer.

4 fish steaks (whatever you like, really. I've even used fillets instead).
4 tomatoes, blanched and sliced
4 tsp vinegar (I use malt vinegar)
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
half a finely chopped onion (or more, if you like)
2 tablespoons melted butter (or more, if you're decadent)

Wash and dry fish. Put in an ovenproof dish. Put tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with vinegar. In a bowl combine breadcrumbs, onion and butter. Spoon this mixture over the tomatoes. Cook at 200 C (400 F) for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
posted by lollusc at 6:49 PM on January 5, 2012

I recommend tea-smoked Halibut, prepared in a wok:

... Place a rack in the wok over the smoking ingredients and place the fish on the rack. Cover the wok. If the lid is not a tight fit, use some wet paper towels to seal the cover, so the smoke won't escape.

Place over low heat and leave for about 20 minutes (this is sufficient for a fillet of about 1" thickness)...

Complete ingredients and instructions behind the link.
posted by jamjam at 7:13 PM on January 5, 2012 [3 favorites]

Marinate salmon in a combination of citrus juices and salt. Dry off salmon, dredge in a mixture of sugar, salt, and pepper. Sear in a bit of oil on medium-high until caramelized (2-3 minutes on each side).
posted by 200burritos at 7:23 PM on January 5, 2012

Salmon glazed in honey mustard or maple mustard and broiled is terrific. Keep this one simple and serve with starchy sides and brussels sprouts roasted until the outer leaves are crispy and the centers soft and tender. Dip these morsels into the extra mustard sauce that's come off the fish for a bite that will revolutionize the way you think about brussels sprouts.

Salmon glazed in a mixture of soy sauce and thai sweet chili sauce is also good. Grate some garlic in there too, and squeeze a little lime on top for extra goodness. We do this simple, with just rice and broccoli on the side.

Cod cut into strips and marinated in a few cups of salsa verde for a couple of hours. Shake off the extra liquid and broil the strips until they're done to your liking (i like a bit of char). Serve on flour tortillas with shredded cabbage mixed with a bit of mayo and lime juice and some chopped scallions. Cheese if you like, or not.

Swordfish broils up like a champ. Slap some olive oil on it, salt, pepper, maybe some oregano and garlic and broil. Then top with puttanesca relish: chopped tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, olives, capers, onions. (It's nice as a raw salsa, but a turn or two in a saucepan is lovely). Serve with a simple olive-oil dressed pasta, or just good crusty bread to sop up the juices.
posted by elizeh at 7:59 PM on January 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Look for fish recipes cooked "en papillote", or folded into envelopes of parchment (or foil). It steams the fish and whatever herbs and vegetables you tuck in with it. It's an excellent way to cook white fishes like cod, tilapia, or halibut, but it works with heartier fishes like trout or salmon as well. And the world's your oyster as far as what you put in with the fish.
posted by padraigin at 8:34 PM on January 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

Tea smoked fish IS amazing - I first came across this technique at the Cafe in the basement of Takashimaya in NYC. Good times, those. You can get a smoked chinese green tea fairly cheap at the loose tea purveyor at The Farmer's Market in The Grove. The rest of their loose tea is kinda pricey. Do this recipe with a good Earl Grey (ahhh, bergamot!) and you can not go wrong. I like the teas from Tea Emporium, but since their little outpost here in LA closed down, you'll have to order from them online. Not a bad thing. (If you know of other decent tea sellers in LA - memail, please:)

I have a fantastic white trash recipe that's pretty delicious. There's also a "double-wide, pick-up rusting on the front lawn" version a fellow chef shared with me that sounds pretty good, too.

For the broiler:

Make a paste of mayo, fresh crushed garlic, squeeze of lemon, and fresh herbs of choice. Slather on top of fish, broil until crust is crispy. Halibut is a good choice here.

Trashier version:

Same technique, but add smashed cornflakes.

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I know the mayo sounds wrong, but it's just a bit of food science and in truth oh so right.
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WF's frequently has whole NZ wild Thai Snappers. Steam in a banana leaf!

WF's also has whole Branzino. Although farmed, these come in from Turkey, so usually better farming practices. Snip fins, slather with olive oil, stuff with lemon and herbs, broil until crispy. Don't forget to enjoy the cheek meat!

Bonus points: infuse the olive oil over low heat with garlic and saffron, brush inside and outside of the Branzino. (I like this better with Dorad, aka Sea Bream, but these are harder to find in the market.)

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If you see Escolar - BUY IT. Sear it black and blue. No more than 4 oz per person, though! Google "escolar fatty esthers" to find out why. This really is the most delicious fish on earth. If you've ever been served "white tuna" at a Japanese restaurant, this is Escolar.

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Lastly. You said no shellfish, but if you ever come across "Picoroco's" These are giant deep sea barnacles. As long as they are NOT sitting in tank water (why does anyone do that?? makes everything taste like tank water) you bake them upside down in the oven in a vessel big enough to collect the juices. I personally think they stink while cooking, but they are delicious!

Fresh sea urchin tastes best right out of the shell slathered on good bread with butter. I learned this from the French Mafia back in NYC.
posted by jbenben at 8:47 PM on January 5, 2012 [3 favorites]

For spice in any recipe, this should be in your pantry if you don't already have it. That brand. No other brand will do for some reason.
posted by jbenben at 8:52 PM on January 5, 2012

Monterey Aquarium lists turbot as a "good alternative," though the recipe works well with almost any flat, white filet (such as tilapia).
I like to give it a rub with oil and chile powder and salt.
Then broil until it is done (testing for it to flake).
Usually takes 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the filet.

Before cooking it, I make a cole slaw with lime, chile and cilantro (mayo if you must).
Serve in corn tortillas with the the slaw.

Pretty minimalist, quick and good.
posted by Seamus at 8:57 PM on January 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

One of my favorite salmon recipes:

Ingredients:

1.5lb Salmon filet with the pin-bones pulled/removed. I like Alaskan King or Sockeye the most.
Poppy seeds

White wine - Sauv blanc or Pinot gris is good or a not-too-oakey Chardonnay.

2-3 Tbs Butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Heat butter just to a melt in the microwave and then add the lemon juice. Skin side down, butter salmon with the mixture. Press a goodly coating of poppy seeds on top. Put the salmon in a pan (still skin side down) and pour in enough of the white wine to cover all the edges. Bake at 450F for about 10-12 mins or to 132F in thickest part. Let it rest for a few mins, maybe 5 or 10.

Smells a bit like baking bread when it is in the oven. Tasty.
posted by bz at 9:21 PM on January 5, 2012

Salt-crusting is one of my favorite baked fish techniques. It looks incredibly extravagant and uses an enormous amount of salt, but actually doesn't cost much---salt is cheap.

Prep you fish for baking, skin on: butter and herbs in the interior. I usually stuff the cavity with dill or fennel, but any fish friendly herb would work.

in a big bowl, mix 3-6 lbs of salt with 2-4 egg whites. Exact proportions are here, but the proportions are pretty flexible. Kosher or pickling salt is great if you have it, but table salt has worked fine for me too.

Press a layer salt onto a baking sheet lined with foil, about 1/2" thick. Lay prepped fish on top. Cover with remainder of salt, ensuring that the fish is entirely covered and you have a nice thick layer of salt everywhere.

Cook in a hot oven, 400F , for the times indicated in the Fine Cooking recipe linked above, 20 minutes for a 12 oz fish to 1 hour for a four pound fish.

Serve it to table still in the crust. The salt will flake off in large clumps, like pieces of dried pottery, taking the skin with it. The flesh underneath will be soft and tender, somewhere between steamed and roasted. Serve with an herbed butter, an olive oil drizzle, or nothing at all, as you prefer.

This is an incredibly easy way to bake a fish, but also one of the most spectacular and sure-fire delicious. It's a great party dish.
posted by bonehead at 9:43 PM on January 5, 2012 [4 favorites]

Turbot is Halibut to the tenth power.

Flat fish (halibut, turbot, fluke, flounder, sand dabs (which are local to CA)) are never farmed, btw.
posted by jbenben at 10:00 PM on January 5, 2012

Here's one I came up with:

Per person:

Fresh salmon fillet
1/4 sweet red pepper, diced
Half onion (small), diced
1tbsp Lemon juice
Fresh dill
2tsp Olive oil

Heat an oven to approx 200 C
Take a baking tray or dish and some tin foil. Place the salmon on the foil, in the dish.
Spread vegetables over the salmon. Sprinkle with herbs, then lemon juice, then olive oil.
Wrap foil around salmon and place in oven for 30-35 mins.
Serve with rice or baby new potatoes.
posted by fearnothing at 10:33 PM on January 5, 2012 [1 favorite]

my favourite way to do salmon is really sinple - pull out the bones with pliers, give it a shake of salt and pepper and lay a sprig of fresh rosemary over it. Wrap all that in foil and bake at about 375 for 25-30 minutes. It steams itself in the foil, and the rosemary is amazing.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:14 AM on January 6, 2012

This is my favorite way to eat salmon. Super easy, too.
posted by Aizkolari at 11:28 AM on January 6, 2012