Grilled Haddock with Lemon-Herb Butter

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Haddock is too tender for bare grill grates — it flakes apart and drops through. The fix is a foil boat or a cast-iron grill pan, where the fillets sit in melting lemon-herb butter and pick up smoke without falling apart. No grill? The exact same setup goes under your broiler and finishes in about 10 minutes either way. A New England fish-house classic for about the cost of a sandwich.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces skinless haddock fillets, 6 oz each, about 1 inch thick
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• 1 tbsp lemon zest, from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives or dill
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• 1/3 cup crushed buttery round crackers (about 8)
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Pull the haddock from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Blot both sides very dry with paper towels — surface moisture is what makes delicate fish steam instead of brown. Season all over with the 1 tsp kosher salt, the black pepper, and the paprika, then rub lightly with the olive oil.
2. Make the lemon-herb butter: in a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, chives, 1/4 tsp salt, and cayenne until it looks like a loose, creamy spread. Set aside at room temperature.
3. Build the cooking vessel. FOIL BOAT: tear a 16-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil, fold the edges up 1 inch on all sides to make a shallow tray, and coat the inside with a thin film of the butter. GRILL PAN: use a 12-inch cast-iron grill pan or flat cast-iron skillet instead. Either way the fillets never touch the grates.
4. Heat your grill to medium, about 400°F, with the lid down; if using a grill pan, set it on the grates for 5 minutes to preheat. For the broiler instead: position an oven rack 6 inches below the element and preheat the broiler to high for 5 minutes with the foil tray on a sheet pan.
5. Lay the fillets in the foil boat or pan, spacing them at least 1 inch apart, thickest edges toward the hottest spot. Spoon about two-thirds of the lemon-herb butter over the tops, dividing it evenly. If using the cracker topping, toss the crumbs with the Parmesan and press a spoonful onto each fillet now.
6. Cook without flipping. On the grill, close the lid and cook 9 to 12 minutes. Under the broiler, cook 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan once at the halfway mark. Haddock is done at 130 to 135°F on an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, or when a paring knife slides in with no resistance and the flakes separate cleanly.
7. Take the fish off the heat and let it rest 3 minutes in the buttery juices — it will carry over to about 140°F and firm up enough to lift. Slide a wide fish spatula under each fillet, supporting the whole length.
8. Plate the fillets, spoon the pooled pan butter over them, and dot with the remaining fresh lemon-herb butter so it melts on contact. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve with lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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