A very simple fish main course to prepare, light and tasty… baked gratinated croaker fillet, with a delicious breadcrumb crust, flavored with dried tomatoes and lemon zest. An easy and quick recipe, perfect for all occasions. The croaker is a prized Mediterranean fish, rich in Omega3, proteins, and minerals… it has few calories, is very digestible, and can be cooked in various ways, even in foil or grilled. However, if you can’t find it, you can adapt the preparation to other fish fillets, you can find some suggestions at the bottom of the page. Try this recipe, it’s really simple and tasty!
Here are some other ideas for you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Fish
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 337.16 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.67 (g) of which sugars 6.62 (g)
- Proteins 40.37 (g)
- Fat 8.78 (g) of which saturated 2.37 (g)of which unsaturated 4.13 (g)
- Fibers 2.89 (g)
- Sodium 487.24 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 210 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 lb croaker
- 2 slices bread
- 7 dried tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- parsley
- lemon zest
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Tools
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Food Processor
- Tweezers
- Grater
Preparation
Wash and dry the croaker fillet, cut it into 2 pieces and remove any bones with tweezers.
Break the bread into pieces and put it in a mixer, add the dried tomatoes (if in oil, dry them well with paper towels), the peeled garlic clove, and a sprig of parsley.
You can use sandwich bread or crustless rustic bread, even stale.
Chop for a few seconds, then add the grated zest of about half a lemon and mix.
Place the fish in a baking tray, lined with parchment paper, resting on the skin side. Lightly salt and drizzle with a little oil.
Cover the two pieces with the aromatic mixture, gently pressing to create a sort of crust on the surface. Finally, pour another light drizzle of oil.
Place the baking tray in a fan oven at 356°F and cook for about 20 minutes, or adjusting according to the thickness of the fillets.
The gratinated croaker fillet is ready, serve it hot, with its crispy and tasty crust.
Tips and Notes
You can enrich the breading by adding peeled almonds, desalted capers or a couple of basil leaves to the mixture.
Cooking times vary depending on the thickness of the fish, try not to overextend, otherwise the fillet will become dry.
I used classic dried tomatoes, but those in oil are also fine, as long as they are well dried from excess oil.
FAQ
How can I substitute croaker?
You can use any other fresh fish fillet: perch, cod, sea bass, sea bream, monkfish, amberjack, swordfish, etc.
