Boston Baked Scrod

(recipe adapted from ASquared)

Servings: 3-4
 

Oh wow!  Was this ever delicious!  When I first sampled Boston baked scrod in Boston a number of years ago, I was smitten.  I tried it in every seafood restaurant that I visited on that first trip and on every subsequent visit to the city, including the iconic Legal Seafoods.  What is scrod? It was a term coined by the Parker House in Boston; basically it's a young cod fish; but cod, haddock, pollock, or any other flaky white fish can be used when preparing "scrod".   After researching the internet for the perfect baked scrod, Boston style, I settled on one that I have adapted slightly.  The result?  It's a keeper!  It makes a perfect night dinner as well as a dish for dinner guests!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 1/2 lbs. cod fillets

·         3 tablespoons butter, divided

·         2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         1 tsp. lemon zest

·         1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin

·         1 garlic clove, crushed

·         1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

·         1/4 cup dry white wine

·         1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

·         salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

·         Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

·         Heat 1 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Saute the onion in oil and butter mixture until soft, but not browned.

·         In a medium sized bowl, combine the Ritz cracker crumbs with lemon zest, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the juice of half the lemon.

·         Once the onions are soft, add salt and pepper.

·         Add to the onions, the remaining lemon juice, and the white wine, and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until liquid is reduced a bit.

·         Spread the onion and lemon mixture over the bottom of a small baking dish (just large enough to hold all the fish snugly).

·         Place the fish on top of the onions and season the fish with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

·         Divide the crumb topping evenly over the fish, patting it down so that it sticks to the fish.

·         Bake for about 25 minutes until fish is cooked through, flaky, and opaque in the center and the crumb topping is browned. Cover with foil half way through baking if the top is browning too quickly.

Yummy Grilled Pork Chops

(adapted from Mel's Kitchen)

Serves 4

This is my new "go to" recipe for grilled pork chops!  It's simple and absolutely delicious.  The marinade seasons the pork chops perfectly!  This is a perfect recipe to serve with fresh spring and summer vegetables!  

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless pork loin chops (I used boneless thick cut chops)

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup light soy sauce

2 teaspoons steak seasoning (such as Montreal steak seasoning)

DIRECTIONS:

·         Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning together in a small bowl

·         Place the pork chops in a large Ziploc bag or flat dish and pour the marinade ingredients over the top.  Refrigerate and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

·         Remove pork chops from sauce and shake off excess; discard the remaining marinade.

·         Heat grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side, (depending on thickness) until an instant-read thermometer registers between 145 and 155.

·         Remove the chops from the grill and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes.