Baked Cod with Crunchy Lemon-Herb Topping

Crisp, buttery crumbs can bring out the best in tender white fish. The frozen stuff, however, is pretty bad. More often than not, the breading is gummy and the fish bland. We wanted to make breaded fish at home with crispy crumbs and tender, flaky, flavorful fish. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• For the crispest coating, use crushed Ritz crackers.
• Glue the crumbs firmly to the fish with mayonnaise flavored with garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• Bake the fish in a hot (450-degree) oven to crisp the coating without drying out the fish.