Perfect Baked Fish Fillets

Sometimes you just want perfect baked fish fillets… here’s how to do it.

Since we moved into our new apartment I haven’t been cooking much fish. This is a hardship for me because I truly love seafood. But the first time I made fish here, the smell lingered for days. It was so bad that I couldn’t imagine how to fix this, so I ignored the issue and just didn’t cook it here again.

This week I decided, enough is enough… I really want my fish! Not only did I make this recipe once, but I made a version of it 3 times. Not only didn’t it smell bad, but I was able to perfect the recipe.

I learned a few things about myself: One is that sometimes I can be not too bright — it turns out the reason the seafood smelled so badly the first time was that it was Thanksgiving, and I cooked a huge platter of many different kinds of seafoods for a ton of people. Any person using her brain would have realized you can’t cook 10 pounds of seafood in a small apartment without some lingering smell! The second thing I learned is that I really do like my fish cooked simply. Simple flavors and simple cooking methods. I made this fish first with lots of awesome aromatics and spices… it seemed like it was going to be great… but, all I could taste were the spices, not the fish. By the time I finished perfecting this perfect baked fish fillets recipe, it was cooked so simply that the freshness of the delicious fish was able to shine and I was able to top it with some awesome fresh garnishes that really made it look and taste great.

Sometimes it takes a few mistakes to get things right. And, these were some happy (OK, maybe not happy, but not so bad) mistakes.

This fish is ever so slightly crusted with a mixture that keeps the inside moist and tasty and gives a great texture to the outside of the fillets. It is so easy to make that it’s perfect for a weeknight meal, and it’s versatile enough that you can garnish it with whatever makes you smile.

By the way, here’s the recipe that made my house smell: Seafood Salad With Garlic Oil.  I’m giving it to you because it’s so delicious, and I promise that if you are not making as much as I had to make for Thanksgiving, it won’t linger in your house!

Why is this so good for you… let me count the ways:

Fish is great to eat if you feel like you need more energy. It’s also helps with diarrhea and hemorrhoids. I used cod for this recipe, but almost any fish would be delicious with this preparation and creamy mustard sauce. Red Snapper, like many fish varieties, is good for the cardiovascular system; it helps protect against heart attacks and strokes and can help regulate blood pressure.  It’s also very low in calories… so have a nice big piece!

Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Tapioca is a starch that comes from the cassava plant. It’s not really a flour in the traditional sense; it’s grain and gluten free. It’s good for your circulation and your digestion. Oftentimes I will make recipes with tapioca flour — it seems to crisp things up well — it certainly works well on this fish.