scales like a...potato?

We finally finished the leftovers! I love Thanksgiving, but I can only eat turkey and ham for so many days. By yesterday, I was ready to throw in the towel. So for tonight's dinner, I decided we needed to "detox" from all that heavy eating.

And what better way to do that than through fish?

I was looking for a recipe that not only looked fancy, but also something that would be fun to make. When I came across this potato-crusted fish, I knew that I had hit the jackpot. Whenever I made fish, It was either baked, pan-fried, or steamed. This recipe seemed interesting and easy enough to do. I wasn't too crazy about the refrigeration or the pan frying part though . . .

So, I decided to take a little leeway from the recipe. I started with using frozen fillets straight from the freezer. I read this tip a long time ago, which saved me on having to thaw the fish before being able to use it. Then, instead of pan frying, I decided to bake these suckers to cut down hands-on time. Also on the plus side, I would be able to cook all the fish in one go. Huzzah!

Another thing I changed was adding more ingredients to the mustard mixture. Tarragon sounded lovely, as well as parsley and citrus zest. To cut down on the fishiness of packaged fillets, I thought it would be a great idea to cook them on sliced citrus wedges and some parsley.

The result? A lovely flavored fish filet that has an incredible herby and citrusy flavor! The potatoes aren't potato-chip crispy, but has enough crunch around the edges to make them irresistible. I also like the fact that the citrus slices helped to avoid the fish from sticking to the pan. Served with a salad, this was the perfect meal to have after Thanksgiving leftovers!

---- o o o o ---- 

Potato-Crusted Fish
(adapted from Live. Laugh. Cook.)

2 to 3 frozen fish filets (like salmon, tilapia, cod, flounder, etc . . .)
1 to 2 red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp Dijon or favorite mustard
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
zest from one lemon or orange
salt and pepper

handful flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon or orange, sliced

 
Preheat oven to 450F degrees.

Combine mustard, butter, olive oil, garlic, minced parsley, tarragon, and zest into a paste. Season with some salt and pepper then set aside.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, lay down two slices of citrus for every fish fillet used. Layer with a few sprigs of parsley.

Take a frozen filet and cover the bottom of the fish with some of the mustard mixture. Place on top of the parsley and citrus slices. After that, brush the top of the filet with additional mustard mixture then repeat process for the remaining fillets.

Take the potatoes and toss in the leftover mustard mixture and add olive oil to moisten, if necessary. Working one fillet at a time, arrange the potato slices in an overlapping pattern to cover the fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper then bake for 30 minutes or until the fish is done and the potatoes are crispy and tender.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.