RECIPE: Crisp, tropical coconut fish easier when baked

For a dinnertime twist on the delightfully retro appetizer coconut shrimp, try swapping in large pieces of flaky white fish, such as cod. The result has all of the tropical fun of the original, but in an easy-to-serve family-style dish. Even better, by ditching the deep fryer for the oven, the dish comes together with almost zero cleanup.

To make a coating that isn’t too sweet, I like to combine unsweetened shredded coconut with panko breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs ensure the exterior of the fish turns crisp in the oven while also keeping the coconut flavor from becoming overwhelming. A couple of beaten eggs are an easy one-ingredient “glue” for the coating — there’s no need to add flour or anything else to the mix.

While coconut-coated seafood is typically fried, this fish does just as well baked in a hot oven. The only trick is to give the breading a generous spritz of nonstick oil spray before baking; this will help to promote even browning and crisping. And once the fish is cooked through — look for flakes when you poke the fish with a fork — add a pop of color and herbaceous flavor with a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro over the top.