Baked Stuffed Haddock

Ingredients

• 2 lb haddock fillets, cut into 4 portions
• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers, about 4 cups crushed
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 oz lump crabmeat
• 1/4 cup clam juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Before you cook

• Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Crush the crackers into coarse crumbs.
• Finely chop the onion, celery, and parsley, and mince the garlic.
• Pat the haddock dry and check it for pin bones.

Steps

1. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic for 7 minutes, until soft and translucent.
3. Stir in the thyme and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Take the skillet off the heat and fold in the cracker crumbs, crabmeat, and parsley.
5. Moisten the stuffing with the clam juice, adding a little at a time until it just clumps when squeezed.
6. Lay the haddock portions on a board and mound a quarter of the stuffing on the wide end of each one.
7. Roll each fillet loosely around its stuffing and set it seam side down in the baking dish.
8. Pour the white wine around the fish, not over it.
9. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the tops.
10. Dust the fish with paprika.
11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and the fish is opaque at the center.
12. Spoon the pan juices over the fish and serve with lemon wedges.