This recipe was inspired by those delicious but heavy on the belly baked haddock dinners from American pubs that are loaded with butter topped with a Ritz cracker crust. I had some beautiful, ocean caught haddock but didn’t have a lot of time to cook so I came up with this healthier Mediterranean based version. Instead of flavoring the breadcrumbs with a bunch of butter, I wanted to flavor it with herbs and citrus. I used panko breadcrumbs because I love the consistency and crunch that panko has.
The most unique and best part about this recipe to me is the lemon rind. I’ve never really cooked with the rind before. It adds such a strong citrus flavor to the panko mixture that you don’t need to constantly squeeze on extra lemon juice while you’re eating it. There is also lemon juice in the mixture to add more citrus and give it some moisture.
I used fresh oregano instead of dried oregano because fresh oregano has a much more potent flavor and aroma than dried. I wanted a strong herb flavor to come through so I thought the fresh oregano would be perfect. The fresh parsley pairs with the oregano well and it gives the mixture a bright green color.
In order to keep the fish moist and to add even more citrus flavor I added a little freshly squeezed orange juice to the bottom of the pan. This also adds a ton of flavor to the zucchini. You don’t have to use zucchini for this recipe, you can really use any vegetable you want, as long as it’s cut small enough to cook in the same time as the fish.
I like to serve this dish with roasted or fried potatoes and a salad. Here are some great side suggestions to pair with this baked haddock. Â Happy Eating!
Sides:
Orange Lemon Potatoes (Island of Crete)
Mediterranean Fried Potato, Tomato, and Arugula Salad
Sheet Pan Baked Haddock with Panko Herb Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, washed and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, washed and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp lemon rind, minced
- 1 lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh haddock
- 2 large zucchini, diced
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a bowl combine panko, egg, parsley, oregano, garlic, onion powder, lemon rind, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Mix with hands well until herbs and egg are evenly distributed.
- Lay the haddock in the middle of a sheet pan. Drizzle with a little olive oil and salt.
- Arrange diced zucchini around the fish. Add some more salt and olive oil. Pour orange juice around sides of the pan where the zucchini is, but not on top of the fish.
- Put the panko breadcrumb herb mixture onto the haddock. It should be a thick, even layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 400 or until haddock flakes with a fork.
- Once the time is done, turn the broiler on to 500 F.
- Broil the fish for 2 minutes or until the panko breadcrumbs turn golden brown.
Nutrition
About the Author: George Zikos
Does the orange juice get mixed in with the panko mixture? Or dizzled over everything?
You pour it around the fish but not on it, just where the zucchini is.