How do you make grilled white fish tasty? Easy, whizz together a herby breadcrumb topping and spoon it over seared fish fillets. Then sizzle them under the grill until the tops get crunchy and golden.
You’ll have a crunchy crust that’s packed full of flavour, while still enjoying a light and healthy grilled fish fillet. And the best part is that you can serve up this Parmesan herb crusted haddock recipe to the whole family. Everyone big and small can enjoy it along with their favourite sides. Done in one!
Summary
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 6 mini fish fillets
Is white fish healthy?
White fish is considered to be a great source of lean protein, as well as being packed with vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids (also known as ‘good fats’) too. So it’s often recommended as part of a healthy diet.
There are a number of different types of white fish that you could use. We’ve used haddock for this recipe but you could equally try cod or sea bass instead. Each have a slightly different taste but all offer great health benefits to kiddies and parents alike.
Cod fish benefits
Cod is rich in Omega 3, which is great for brain development in little ones. It also has vitamin B12 along with a high amount of lean protein.
It generally comes in thick fillets so you have to take care to remove the bones before cooking and serving.
It tends to have a delicate texture and a milder flavour than other white fish, so it smells less ‘fishy’. This can make it a great choice for kids.
Sea bass benefits
Sea bass is high in both iron and calcium. Just one portion gives you with a quarter of the recommended daily intake of each. Like cod, it also contains vitamin B12 and Omega-3s.
Despite being low in fat, it has two great sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. These are Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). One portion of sea bass can offer as much as 40-70% of your daily intake of these Omega-3s.
It also has a higher oil content than other white fish which gives it its rich, buttery taste.
Sea bream benefits
Sea bream is not considered to be an oily fish but like sea bass it has more good fats than a lot of other white fish varieties. For this reason it too is a great source of Omega 3’s as well as of vitamins E and D.
It tastes similar to sea bass and comes in thin fillets with a slightly sweeter taste to it.
Haddock benefits
Like other white fish, haddock offers Omega-3 fatty acids which offer a variety of health benefits. It’s also a good source of vitamins B6, B12, magnesium, phosphorus and selenium.
Tastewise it’s described as being a little sweeter than other white fish varieties with a tender texture.
How to make herb crusted fish fillets
There are two parts when you’re making herb crusted fish fillets: the white fish fillet itself, and the herby topping.
We’ve used haddock for our white fish fillets and have cut each one into thirds to make mini fillets. However you can choose any white fish that you prefer for this recipe. The fillets need to be seared before adding a crumbly topping onto them.
The herby topping is made using a few flavourful ingredients. These are Parmesan cheese, garlic, bread, parsley and a little butter. They’re blended together to make a breadcrumb-like topping. This is then spooned onto the fillets before they’re put in the oven to crisp up. The topping ends up crunchy, golden and amazingly tasty.
Adding a Parmesan herb crust is a great way to give grilled white fish fillets loads of flavour while still keeping it a healthy dish.
Parmesan herb crusted haddock
Ingredients
- 2 fillets of haddock (you can also use cod, sea bass or other white fish)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 slice wholewheat bread
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves
- 15 grams butter, melted
- 20 grams Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
- Prepare the haddock fillets. Remove the bones. If your children are not keen on fish skin then remove this too. Cut each fillet into 3 pieces to make 6 mini fillets in total.
- Heat your olive oil over high heat in a large fry pan. Sear the mini fish fillets for one minute on each side. You don’t want to overcook them so remove as soon as they’re seared.
- Place the seared fillets onto an oiled baking dish.
- In a food processor blend your bread, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and butter. Keep pulsing until a fine breadcrumb texture is achieved.
- Spoon the breadcrumb mixture on top of the fish fillets. Press each one down with a spoon to pack the breadcrumb topping.
- Roast in the centre of the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the herby crust is golden.
- Serve straight away with your chosen sides, perhaps some greens, salad or rice.
Parmesan herb crusted haddock – your step by step guide:
Serve while warm with steamed greens, rice or pasta.
Print
Pin
4.86 from 7 votes
Herb crusted fish fillets
How do you make grilled white fish tasty? Easy, whizz together a herby breadcrumb topping and spoon it over seared fish fillets. Then sizzle them under the grill until the tops get crunchy and golden. This Parmesan herb crusted haddock recipe can be served to the whole family, big and small, along with their favourite sides.
Cuisine French
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 mini fillets
Author Mas & Pas
Equipment
Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 fillets of haddock (you can also use cod, sea bass or other white fish)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 slice wholewheat bread
- 1 small garlic clove crushed
- 1 handful fresh parsley leaves
- 15 grams butter melted
- 20 grams Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
Prepare the haddock fillets. Remove the bones. If your children are not keen on fish skin then remove this too. Cut each fillet into 3 pieces to make 6 mini fillets in total.
Heat your olive oil over high heat in a large fry pan. Sear the mini fish fillets for one minute on each side. You don’t want to overcook them so remove as soon as they’re seared.
Place the seared fillets onto an oiled baking dish.
In a food processor blend your bread, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and butter. Keep pulsing until a fine breadcrumb texture is achieved.
Spoon the breadcrumb mixture on top of the fish fillets. Press each one down with a spoon to pack the breadcrumb topping.
Roast in the centre of the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the herby crust is golden.
Serve immediately with your chosen sides, perhaps some greens, salad or rice.
