Baked Bass with Romano Cheese

I think this may be the first Paula Deen recipe we've tried so far. Even though I'm a Southern gal, and besides the fact that my mom was born and raised in Savannah, GA...well, let's just say most of Paula's cooking is a little over the top for me. But to be fair, I probably would have loved it when I was about 10 years old. At this point in time however, my tastes are a little more refined, and just piling on tons of butter, sour cream and cheese do not make a dish delectable to me anymore. Not to say that many of Paula's dishes are not great or that Paula isn't a fabulous cook - I have no idea - but not too many that I've seen appeal to me personally as something I would want to cook or eat. That said, this fish recipe was a good one, and I'm sure I'll try a few more of her recipes in the future. Maybe I'll come to eat my words. I doubt it, but let's face it, anything is possible. Either way, I love Paula. She's a good old Southern gal who loves her food - very likeable and fun. She was on with Emeril last night, and I laughed out loud. I especially loved that they were wearing matching aprons that said "Country Cookin' Makes Ya Good Lookin'." And she boiled over her oyster stew because she got busy running her mouth about how she and her brother are opening a new restaurant called "Uncle Bubba's Oyster House" or something like that. Too funny. But the "salad" in which she put tons of mayonnaise and I'm-not-sure-what-all into a bowl filled with rice and chicken.....yuck.

This dish actually was simple and good. In lieu of regular bread crumbs, we used Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs, which I have come to adore. They are light with a wonderful texture, and while they can be purchased ready-to-go in the store (if you can find them), they do not contain tons of chemical garbage that typical store-bought bread crumbs contain. (In fact, if anyone has found Italian seasoned bread crumbs without junk in them, let me know the brand - otherwise I'll keep making my own or using Panko.) For the fish, we used Striped Bass that we had in the freezer. Yes, fresh would have been better but frozen was all we had on hand and this recipe did spiff them up quite a bit. The father-in-law is a hobby fisherman, so we are fortunate to usually have some type of fish on hand. We also buy fresh seafood from Alaska on occasion and keep a small supply of it in the freezer, but that's another topic. As far as this dish, the lemon juice and parsley give it a fresh, light taste, the bread crumbs (and cheese) give it a nice coating with a bit of a crunch for texture, and the garlic powder and Romano cheese add to the flavor.

In short, I would recommend this recipe, and several different types of fish could be used. The recipe is called Baked Bass with Romano Cheese, but it calls for Trout fillets. Paula?? What's up with that?? The point is - I think you could use either and probably several other kinds too if you wanted.

Baked Bass with Romano Cheese
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

1 cup bread crumbs
1 T. garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Romano
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 (8 oz) trout fillets
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, cheese, and parsley in a medium non-reactive bowl. Rub each fillet with lemon juice, and then dredge in the crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place fillets on a baking pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over the fillets. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until fish fillets are cooked through.*

*Our note - next time, we will bake for slightly less time and then put them under the broiler to brown them a touch.