Cooking with Laura Lee: Oven-baked Cajun fish with lemon risotto

DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - In this episode of Cooking with Laura Lee, Laura and guest Dan Wolf cooked the fish they caught in a special episode of Fishin’ with Dan Wolf.

The recipe features crappie and bluegill fillets coated in a mayonnaise and Cajun seasoning mixture and toasted panko, then baked and served with lemon Parmesan risotto.

“Dan and I recently went fishing,” Laura said. “And so now we’re going to cook the fish that we caught,” Laura said. They caught mostly crappies, along with a few sunfish and bluegill.

Dan said his usual method is a bit simpler than this recipe.

“The extent of what I do is I catch fish, and then I just throw it in the deep fryer when I get home,” Wolf said. “So this is the real deal.”

Ingredients

For the panko coating:

• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Butter
• Salt and black pepper
• Old Bay seasoning
• Cajun seasoning

For the fish:

• Fish fillets (crappie and bluegill were used; cod or walleye also work)
• About 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
• Fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems (dried thyme can be substituted)
• Lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Old Bay seasoning
• Cajun seasoning

For the lemon risotto:

• About 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• About 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about half an onion)
• 1 cup arborio rice
• About 2 cups warm chicken broth (vegetable broth or fish stock can be substituted)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• About 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus more to finish
• Salt and black pepper

For serving:

• Lemon wedges

Directions

Toast the panko: Melt a little butter in a non-stick pan. Add 1 cup of panko and toast until golden brown, then add more butter and the second cup. Transfer to a plate to cool. Season with salt, pepper, Old Bay, and Cajun seasoning.

Laura said the panko can be toasted ahead of time. She said the golden-brown color is what to look for.

“When panko starts to toast, it gets just a beautiful kind of that caramel golden color,” Laura said. “And that’s what you want.”

If the panko browns too quickly, take the pan off the heat. The pan’s heat will continue to brown it.

Make the mayonnaise coating: In a bowl, mix mayonnaise with fresh thyme, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, Old Bay and Cajun seasoning until combined.

Coat the fish: Brush or rub the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of each fillet. Press the fillet into the toasted panko, packing it into the meat. Shake off the excess.

Bake the fish: Place the fillets on a flat baking tray fitted with an oven rack so air can circulate. Bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until done. Laura said baking time can vary by oven.

Laura said the same coating can be used for frying.

Start the risotto: Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the minced garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

Toast the rice: Add the arborio rice and stir until the grains are coated and begin to turn white.

Add the broth: Turn the heat to low. Ladle in about 1 cup of the warm broth and stir until the rice absorbs it. Continue adding broth and stirring as the rice absorbs the liquid, about 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked and creamy.

Finish the risotto: Stir in the Parmesan and lemon zest. Taste and add more lemon zest if desired.

Serve: Spoon risotto onto plates and top with fillets. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish and serve with lemon wedges.

Cook’s notes

Laura said seasoning each layer adds flavor.

“You always want to add seasoning in every layer,” Laura said. “So it adds, you know, all the best flavors.”

She said the dish works with other white fish.

“This dish is really good for cod, walleye,” Laura said.

Laura said arborio rice is labeled for risotto and can be found in the pasta or rice aisle of grocery stores. She said risotto is a rice, while orzo is a pasta.

She said broth choice can match the main dish. Fish stock can be used with fish, and mushroom risotto can be paired with steak. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth. Vegetables such as mushrooms and asparagus can be added to the rice.

“Risotto is one of those dishes where it is time-consuming, but it’s so delicious,” Laura said.

Laura said she starts the risotto when the fish goes into the oven so both finish at the same time.

Panko can be found in grocery stores in the aisle with breading for fish, flour, and pasta.

After tasting the dish, Wolf compared it with his usual fish fry.

“That is incredibly flavorful,” Wolf said. “Like so much better than when I just throw it in the fryer.”

Want more of this show? New episodes of Cooking with Laura Lee will be released on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. on the Northern News Now + app!

Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app.