Baked Stuffed Atlantic Cod

One of the things I really love about living here in Newburyport, MA,  is the close proximity of all the various food specialty stores  to one another.  I often find the best deals on the best foods at these shops, and leave my non-perishables shopping for the supermarkets!  A good fish monger is  Bob’s Lobster , on the way to and from Plum Island. (There is a delightful story of how they began their venture on their website, so do visit!) Even in mid January, you can wander in and find beautiful fish recently plucked from the Atlantic, and today was no exception. A pile of the freshest Cod I could hope for, inexpensive to boot, was in front of me and Joyce cheerily cut a lovely thick piece, a ”Captain’s Cut”,  for me.

 Having my hands on such a gorgeous piece of fish meant only one way of preparing it. Simply, with a traditional New England stuffing that lets the best of  the fish shine through. You can still find baked stuffed haddock and cod on most restaurant menus around these parts, but none will be better than you can make at home. And it’s easy!  If you ever hesitate to cook fresh fish, try this way with almost any flaky white fish and you will be delighted.

 Fish Stuffing Recipe Ingredients: (for 1  1/2 pounds of fish)

• A dozen butter crackers (like Ritz ) crushed
• 1/2 stick of butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a shallow pan, on medium heat. Stir constantly while the butter melts and the fish stuffing browns lightly. When cool enough to handle, mound on the fish fillet and press firmly together.

Put the fish, uncovered into a 350 degree oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness and weight of the fish, but you want a flaky, still- moist result.  Just take a fork, and on one side try pulling a small section away gently. If it pulls away easily, your fish is cooked. I cooked this piece for about twenty minutes.

When cooked, turn on the broiler and allow the cracker crust to brown for a few minutes. Serve with fresh lemon. 

Note: A  variation for this dish is to add about 1/4 cup of white wine to the baking pan before cooking !