I know what you’re thinking. “Doug, another fish blog so soon?” I hear you, but this couldn’t be helped. I went to the market yesterday for some boneless chicken thighs and saw Kuhn’s Ice Chest piled high with orange roughy, on sale for $7.99 a pound.
I asked the meat manager if that was a good deal, he said “Very good. The regular price is $14.99 so you’re getting it half price.” Well, not quite—but he’s right, still a good deal.
(By the way, if you’d like to visit that last fish post—where I sizzled flounder in olive oil, shredded parmesan & lemon juice, click here. Forgive my boasting but it was the closest thing to restaurant quality I’ve ever cooked.)
Getting back to the orange roughy, I’ve read you shouldn’t enjoy more than two servings in one week when dining out because restaurants commonly use ‘farmed’ roughy, which may contain high levels of mercury. It’s much healthier to buy & prepare “Wild Caught”.
(Both the sign above the fish and the back of this package specified wild caught, so I’m safe as houses.) Now preheat that oven to 425F and let’s get cookin’!
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 9” square glass baking dish. 
Add 8 ounces of orange roughy fillet. 
Drizzle 1/3 cup milk over everything. (I went with 2%, but you can use whole, 1% or even skim.)
The tasty topping mixture: combine 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup chopped onion & 1/3 cup chopped (grape) tomatoes. Oh and add 1 teaspoon of crushed (minced) garlic.
Pack it on top of those fillets, and bake in your 425F preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
Done! It smells delicious and look at this nice crust.
A baked potato with sour cream & chives completes the dish, but the fish was so filling I wish I’d sided it with something lighter and green instead. (I’ve got both broccoli & roasted brussel sprouts in my freezer too, darn it.)
But I loved the crunch of onion and the acidic bite of tomato was just right. No lemon juice needed here. 
I enjoyed this while watching Adam’s Rib with Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy. It just had a sweet, old school taste that went well with a sweet, old school movie.
We mostly use tilapia which has a similar texture and taste to orange roughy but is easier to find in stores, at least here in the midwest. Fish like tilapia or orange roughy are low on the food chain and quick growers so I'm never really concerned about mercury like I would be for apex predator species that live longer periods of time like tuna.
ReplyDeleteIn the last several years, I've read several studies that suggest mercury in fish is not due to feeding such as in fish farms but due to mercury in the sediments and algae of the environment so there is little difference in consumption of mercury between wild caught and farm raised fish. The biggest difference is where they were caught/farmed with fish in China having some of the highest sources of mercury. The articles pretty much said you don't have to worry about mercury in fish as long as they are low on the food chain, short lived and were farmed/caught anywhere but China. But if you are eating tuna from China, you may want to draw up a will.
(The last sentence was mine added for humor.)
That's a lot of information Ed--but the Chinese still have a healthier lifespan than Americans, and are expected to overtake us in life expectancy by 2040! Well, it doesn't matter in regards to my roughy, it was caught off New Zealand :^)
DeleteMy goodness, we need to order you a toque (Chef's hat). You are really getting into this cooking and are having really delicious looking results. That crust looked good enough to eat by itself.
ReplyDeletePatti who do I make this check out to? 😉 Thank you so much, and I wanted to add that I'm really happy for your transmission! You gave me a real chuckle there yesterday. 🙂. PS. Pardon my brag, but you're right about that crust!
DeleteYou have a really clean kitchen! (What's the Fossil brand container?) Nice recipe and results. Baking fish with toppings is certainly easier and healthier than deep frying. I thought Orange Roughy was a smelly fish. I tried tilapia once and didn't like it. You can come to Kansas City and cook, then I'll take you to a Barbeque place. Look forward to your next fish adventure. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteLinda, you always notice things in a good way, I just wanted you to know I appreciate that. As for that Fossil tin, it's from the 1990s, a watch I once bought. The watch is long gone, but I kept the can to store green and mint teas. What you said about the tilapia, I didn't want to hurt Ed's feelings in the first comment but I don't like it either. A little too gamey for me. Orange roughy is very mild, and has a sweet cod like taste. And yes I'd love to come to Kansas City for barbecue! 😄♥️👍
DeleteDon't worry Dug, I have thick skin so tell me what you think! I'm surprised though that you think tilapia is gamey. I have always thought of it as having very little fish taste compared to say catfish. But perhaps it was the brand... or lack of mercury! Hah!
DeleteOh Ed, compared to catfish tilapia is candy! It's just a bit too fishy for me, but maybe I should give it another try. If I do, I'll post a retraction. :^)
DeleteWe generally eat tilapia here. I am not much of a fish eater, salmon and tilapia are the go-tos
DeleteWe used to eat Orange Roughy a lot in years gone by (possibly when we lived in Louisiana or Florida). It was good and not expensive. But you don't see it around here much any more. You see Tilapia (which I don't care for). I've found that both fish and red meat have gotten way too expensive. But your dish looks really good, Dug.
ReplyDeleteBTW, you didn't have that burner on with that glass dish sitting on it, did you?
Rian, you're correct about the orange roughy. From what I've read, it's not sold as much as it used to be, precisely because of the wild caught thing. Anyway, you're right about the expensive price. I enjoyed this dish but I wouldn't have paid $15 for that 16 oz bag. As for that burner, I did turn it on warm for like 10 seconds just to melt that butter... But I have a good idea I shouldn't do that again.
DeleteThat looks delicious! Last night, I baked 2 Cod fillets, frozen from Target. After thawing them, I sprayed a dish with oil and laid the fish on top. Salt and pepper. Layer of mayonnaise. Panko bread crumbs All of this layered not mixed together. 18 minutes. 350F. Moist and delicious! Gigi-Hawaii
ReplyDeleteGigi, that DOES sound delicious and thank you for sharing! Also, thank you for the heads up about this going to my spam folder -AND- guess what I just bought today? A pound of cod, and I'm going to cook it your way :^)
DeleteDang! This looks really amazing! We usually eat just saba (blue mackerel). I used to cook flounder but now they seem to all be from China. Your orange roughy sounds absolutely awesome, Doug. I’m always so amazed with the dishes you prepare. Beware or all the residents of Tiffany apartments will be knocking on your door.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings
Thanks Kay! Um...orange roughy sounds pretty pedestrian compared to something like blue mackerel! Anyway you're too kind and if Fernanda (the Latino woman in 410) wants to knock on my door, she's welcome! 😉
DeleteWhere are you getting these yummy recipes or are you making them up? I've never heard of orange roughy! I wonder if it has another name or just isn't common in the PacNW.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret! Really, you've never heard of orange roughy? It's just a nice, sweet white fish you can do a lot with. I don't have any of my own recipes, I just watch a lot of cooking videos on YouTube and kind of do a mish-mash of what I see. I'm not original, just a single man who was always afraid of cooking, especially fish 😄
DeleteHi Doug, I love your recipe blogs! I also love that you take the time to make yourself such wonderful dinners. My Dad was the last male I lived with who did a fair bit of cooking. Chuck....not so much!
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe I’ve ever seen Adam’s Rib. I love old movies and enjoy Katherine Hepburn.
Enjoy the rest of the week!❤️
Robin
Hi Robin! Well it's comments like yours that make me want to do these recipe blogs, thank you! That's interesting about your dad, my dad only made one dish but he made it very well and I've never been able to get it right. Baked pork chops... But someday I will. 🙂. And frankly, I was a little surprised to read that about Chuck, but I think I can guess why. 😉. Please try to see Adam's Rib and tell me what you think, it's one of their better ones! ♥️
DeleteI will Doug!
DeleteRobin
My comment disappeared. Gigi hawaii
ReplyDeleteDarn it, I'm sorry Gigi. ☹️
DeleteSo, the fish is made out of oranges? That’s a very strange breed. Must be exotic.
ReplyDeleteUntil 1975, this type of fish was known as 'slime-heads' and the population was out of control. The name-change helped!
DeleteI wouldn’t know that. I wasn’t born yet.
DeleteIn Australia, orange roughy used to be called sea perch.
DeleteThanks Peter, that sounds a helluva lot better than slime heads :^)
DeleteDoug we are going to have to start calling you the Apache Gourmet! You have a real talent for cooking. I've never been a big fish eater but this recipe could change that! I love any of the many movies with Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy and Adam’s Rib is a great one!
ReplyDeleteBonnie you're very sweet but I'm no cook--this simple stuff is just new to me. I hope you give it a try, because I wasn't a fish eater either! I just thought it was time to try some new things. And speaking of new things Bonnie, I have you to thank for Rice-a-Roni! I have two flavors left to try, buffalo chicken and cilantro and lime. I love them all. 🙂♥️👍👍
DeleteOrange roughy is probably my favorite white fish (along with flathead). There are two ways I prepare it...
ReplyDeleteSimply coat with flour and sauté (fry) until done. Serve with tartare sauce, potatoes of some sort and a green veg (sugar peas, asparagus, green beans, whatever’s in season).
The second is a bit more complicated. You need a Chinese bamboo steamer with a plate or shallow bowl in it.
Line the bowl with finely sliced garlic and spring onions (green onions in American speak).
Cut the fish into roughly one inch pieces and scatter on top. Grate some ginger over it (not necessary if you don’t have any). Scatter some snowpeas (or something) over this.
Prepare a sauce (more a liquid) of 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of sesame oil, two tablespoons of rice wine (or sherry). Pour over everything.
Steam for five or six minutes (having first prepared some rice).
Rice in bowls, place the steamer on a plate and take to the table. Everyone serves themselves.
Sounds complicated, but it isn’t. It’s mainly just cutting things.
Your recipe sounds interesting; I’ll try it soon.
Peter, my recipe is hillbilly food compared to your dish, it sounds pretty gourmet and amazing. Thank you for taking the time to share all that, because I really do want to try new things. It sounds excellent. 🙂👍👍👍
DeleteOh boy, that meal looks delicious, Doug! Actually salivated over the plated photo. Kudos to you! No wonder marketing changed the fish's name. I mostly buy salmon these days -- pink for my cat and red for myself.
ReplyDeleteFlorence, thank you so much! You came to mind when I was making this, as I know you're trying to expand your diet but you're not into red meat and such. It's funny you mentioned salmon, as I want to try something with that too. Maybe you could do a cooking post on Buzz and Flutter? You'll have to include Ellie Mae of course. 🙂🙂🐈
DeleteNow that is 'food' for thought. I have a very tasty salmon loaf recipe from my sister I could do. As for Ellie Mae's canned pink salmon, I just mash the bones well or she will leave them licked over but rejected in her bowl. 🙂🙂🐈
DeleteOrange Roughy! I haven't had roughy in years! I'll have to look for some. I usually just pan fry it in a butter-olive oil mix though. Quick and easy.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind trying it that way, I'm just not sure I'd know when it's done. I've still got half a pound of it. 🙂
DeleteWhen it is white all the way through and flaky, easily separated with a fork, it's done. If you still see bits that look raw, cook it a bit longer.
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeleteThanks Rajani :^)
DeleteTrying to comment again. Love the recipe. The fish looks delicious. Gigi-Hawaii
ReplyDeleteThanks Gigi I wish I knew what happened the first time...anyway you're too kind, I'm a bore! 😴
DeleteCheck your spam file for my original comment. Gigi hawaii
DeleteGigi, good grief! I did find your original comment in there, along with 20 others from other bloggers like Kay & River! Omigosh, I'm shocked--thanks for the heads up!
DeleteAnother cooking lesson utilizing headless fish. The squeamish Debby thanks you.
ReplyDeleteHaha!! Debby you always make me laugh--thank you :^)
DeleteI checked my own spam folder today and found your original comment. I shall check it regularly from now on. Gigi Hawaii
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll have to do the same on my end--this is too weird! Thanks Gigi.
Delete