It’s the first day of summer! ~ Oven Baked Fish with Chips

It’s the first day of summer! The sun actually cooperated in Seattle today, and it feels like summer is here. No coats necessary :). We celebrated by having fish and chips for dinner alfresco. In the summertime, we occasionally visit a little fish and chip place on Lake Union called Ivar’s. The view on their little deck overlooks the lake and the city skyline, and the food is very tasty, but it isn’t what I would call bikini friendly :). So I decided to try a baked version of this favorite summertime treat. A recipe in The Best Light Recipe cookbook inspired me again. It is basically the same as the “fried”chicken recipe I wrote about earlier this month, but with fish. We tried halibut and salmon, which were both delicious.

Oven Baked Fish Fillets

1 5 oz box of whole grain Melba toast broken into 1-inch pieces.

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 large egg whites

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 fish fillets, about 1 inch thick and 6 oz each (A firm fleshed fish will work nicely like cod, halibut, or even salmon)

Salt and pepper

Canola oil cooking spray

Adjust your oven rack to the upper middle position, and preheat to 450. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place a wire rack on top.

Pulse the Melba toast in a food processor until it is coarse crumbs. Place in a shallow bowl and mix in the oil.

In another shallow dish, whisk the egg whites through the cayenne together.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels, and season well with salt and pepper. Dip each fillet into the egg mix and then the Melba mix, pressing to make sure it adheres. Then place each piece of fish on the wire rack and spray the top with cooking spray.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish just flakes apart and the coating is golden brown.

Serve with baked chips and tartar sauce if you’d like.

We also had a summery wine to go with dinner called 2007 Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon. It starts with a berry aroma, but finishes as a full-bodied Cabernet. Yum! It might become our new house wine. I must admit I am inclined to fall for cute wine labels, and this one has a little boy who is poised to splash into a lake. Perfect for the season :).