New England Baked Cod with Cracker Crumb Topping
“Here’s to dear old Boston,
The home of the bean and the cod,
Where Lowells speak only to Cabots,
And Cabots speak only to God.”
The above verse is from a toast given to Boston Holy Cross alumni at a dinner in 1910 by John Collins Bossidy. If you grew up in the Boston area as I did, you became familiar early on with the reference to the Boston Brahmins (the Boston elites), who were among the first families to settle in Boston.
Indeed, Boston is still known as the home of the bean and the cod. Growing up, my mother served fish on Fridays and franks and beans on Saturdays. Because she was Italian, though, whenever we had fish with crumbs on top, they were seasoned Italian bread crumbs. It wasn’t until I was doing my own cooking that I tried this simple but very delicious way of baking cod and haddock.
Occasionally, I still see cod with a Ritz cracker crumb topping listed on restaurant menus in the area but less and less often. It’s possible that’s because the species has been overfished. When I spotted it on a restaurant menu recently, I realized that it had been years since I had made it. So, I did—and it was even more delicious than I remembered.
My husband’s job took the family to Chicago for over 20 years where getting fresh fish wasn’t as easy as I had been used to having been brought up in Boston. While we enjoyed our time in Chicago, we’re very happy to be back in the home of the bean and the cod.
One year ago: S’mores Cupcakes
Two years ago: Barb’s Shrimp Salad
Three years ago: Classic Lemon Curd
Four years ago: Homemade Fudge Pops aka Fudgsicles
Five years ago: Pumpkin Spice Latte
Six years ago: Fran’s 16-Bean Soup
Seven years ago: Roasted Beet Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Eight years ago: Maple Walnut Scones
New England Baked Cod with Cracker Crumb Topping
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cod fillets*
- 12 to 15 Ritz or Town House crackers (depends on how thick a topping you want)
- 2 tbl. butter, melted (add another tablespoon of butter if you significantly increase the number of crackers you use)
- Juice from half a lemon
- A couple of twists of pepper from your pepper mill
- 1 tbl. fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped
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*Any white fish will work, but cod or haddock are traditional in New England
Fran’s Notes
I personally do not add any salt to the fish because I find the crackers (and butter if you don’t use unsalted) add all the salt necessary for my preference. I’d wait to taste it after cooking and add salt to your plate if you’d like.
Ritz cracker crumbs are traditionally used in this recipe, but I prefer Town House.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a baking pan with butter or spray with a little Pam.
Rinse off the cod with cold water and pat dry. Place the fillets in the prepared pan. I’ve never gotten one large fillet—but, if I did, I’d cut it in half for my two servings.
Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, crush the crackers between a piece of wax paper you’ve folded in half. Folding it in half helps keep the crumbs from flying all over. If you prefer to waste use a Zip-loc bag, that works even better. Alternatively, you can throw the crackers in a food processor and pulse until you get the size crumbs you want. I like mine fairly fine. Put the cracker crumbs in a bowl, and pour the melted butter over them. Use a fork to mix until the butter is evenly distributed throughout the crumbs. Add the lemon juice and parsley (or chives) and mix well.
Distribute the cracker crumbs evenly over the fillets. I usually use my fingers to pack/press the crumbs in place so that not too many of them fall off and down the sides into the pan.
Place pan (do not cover) in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes. The fish is done when you can easily flake it. Depending on how thick your fillets are, they may take more or less time. If your fillets are thin, check them at 15 minutes.
Source: This method of baking cod with a cracker crumb topping has been around in New England for decades. This recipe is my own personalized version of it.