I was looking for a new way to cook fish and decided to revamp a recipe I have for a crunchy Panko coating for chicken. I added lemon juice or orange juice and dried herbs.

If you like a little heat, you could add some cayenne or red pepper flakes to the topping.

A thin coating of mayonnaise or mustard allows the coating to adhere better and adds flavor (I will try a mix of both next time) and the dish goes together pretty quickly. I roasted asparagus, which conveniently cooks at the same temperature and for the same amount of time as the fish. Just rub it with some olive oil and lay it flat in a jelly roll pan.

Voila! Dinner in 35 minutes.

Baked Citrus Herb Scrod

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs. scrod fillets (cod or haddock), not too thin

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon butter, divided

1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 lemon (zest and juice) or 1 orange (zest and juice)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon dried thyme or tarragon

1/4 cup white wine

Salt and pepper

Heaping tablespoon mayonnaise or Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion in 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of butter until soft but not browned, adding garlic for the last minute.

Meanwhile, combine the panko, thyme or tarragon, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix well with a fork.

Once the onions are soft, add salt and pepper, the juice of half the lemon and white wine and cook 1 or 2 minutes more.

Spread onion mixture in a baking dish just large enough to hold the fish. Place fish on top. Spread evenly with the mayonnaise or mustard. Cover with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for about 20 minutes until fish is cooked through and the crumbs are browned.

If the crumbs are browning too fast, cover loosely with foil. (Don't cover the whole dish or the topping will get soggy instead of staying crunchy.)

Note: I like the lemon/thyme or orange/tarragon in combination, but you can try any mix you like

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