Parmesan Rosemary Crusted Fish

parmesan rosemary crusted cod on arugula with fork

I’m still here! After what feels like an eternity to me, I’ve finally mustered up a blog post. It’s taken bits and pieces of what little mental (and physical) energy I have left, but it’s here.

I had a whole bunch of April recipes planned out. AND my first ever cooking class. All which came to a screeching halt when the mono virus hit.

I shared a little more over on Instagram (go follow, if you aren’t already!), but basically things around my entire blogging – and real – life have been extra quiet as my body rests. A lot.

So while there haven’t been any new recipes photographed, I snuck a couple in a few weekends ago, feeling crappy, but not crappy enough to stop. Ha, yes, mono is really teaching me a big and much needed lesson in relaxing.

More on that later though. Right now we’ve got to talk FISH.

Naturally, given that it’s April, and Easter is around the corner, and lots of people are looking for fish alternatives come Friday nights this time of year, a fish recipe was high on the list.

What’s better than just a regular ol’ fish recipe? One that has parmesan, rosemary, and crunchy panko!

How to Make Parmesan Rosemary Crusted Fish

Can I just say, it’s so incredibly easy? If you’re intimidated by breading, or fish, or skillets with oil, take a deep breath, and tell yourself YOU GOT THIS. Because you do!

First, mix together:

Panko (crunch!)
A little bit of flour (hold it together)
Parmesan (cheesy! salty! YUMMY)
Rosemary (fresh herbs, ILY)
Garlic powder (obviously garlic)
Salt (check)
Pepper (check)

In another bowl, prep the egg by whisking it up.

Pat the fish dry if needed, give them a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and then they’re ready to take a dip in the bowls!

First into the egg, then into the panko-parmesan-rosemary mixture. Next up: cooking! See, that really was easy, wasn’t it?

The Great Debate: Fried or Baked?

Is it really a debate though? Isn’t everything that’s fried usually way better than baked? Fact.

Isn’t baking healthier? Usually. But I’m no dietician. And because I believe in balance (serve the fish with a side of roasted broccoli!), my vote is for frying these fillets up. And we’re talking a LIGHT fry here, anyway!

Frying them creates a crisp, golden brown exterior that has the “crunch” you want when you’re encrusting a filet. I tested this recipe both ways and baking it just didn’t do the exterior justice.

You know I love an easy baked fish. But this light fry is key.

If you must bake it, I’ll leave a few pointers in the notes section of the recipe card – like make sure to add butter before baking. But I did warn you, a little fry takes it to the next level!

What Kind of Fish?

I almost put this in the recipe name. Almost. And then I thought, I DO NOT WANT TO LIMIT YOU! Some people would read it and say “I hate that fish” or “I don’t have that in my grocery store” or… excuses, excuses.

I’m here to help. Because this recipe is so versatile, any mild white fish will work!

I used Cod because it’s what my store had available and because I find it mild enough to let the flavors of the crust come through.

You could also use Walleye (looking at you, Minnesota), Tilapia, or Halibut. The ocean is your oyster. Em, kind of.

There you have it, folks. Did I really just say folks? Time for me to go back to bed (mono, I’m telling you!).

I’d love to see this recipe come to life in your kitchen – take a photo and tag me over on Instagram or shoot an email my way!