Horseradish Crusted Haddock Recipe

If my Dad was asked to name his favorite type of fish, he would say haddock. No doubt about it.

I think my Dad’s love affair with  haddock began as a boy, growing up in an Italian catholic family  in Upstate NY where on Friday nights it was tradition to eat a  fried haddock dinner, honoring the “no meat on Fridays” rule.

Though my Dad is especially fond of the fried haddock dinner, served  with lemon,  tartar sauce,  and a side of coleslaw (oh yeah, and probably onion rings too), he enjoys haddock prepared a number of ways. Haddock (smaller cousin to the cod) has a firm texture, and is very mild in flavor; hard not to love this fish.

I have seen my Dad’s eyes light up at a restaurant when the server included haddock as one of the evening’s specials. Even if there was something else on the menu that caught his attention, haddock would win out each and every time.

This was the case on the last evening we spent together up on the lake. Our whole family went out to dinner one last time before we headed our separate ways, away from the lake, and back to our homes in far away states. The memories of a fantastic summer were shared over glasses of wine, and  a meal that was equally memorable. The special for the evening was Horseradish Crusted Haddock, served au gratin style, with a crisp golden crust.  The bright pungent flavor of the fresh horseradish worked so well with the haddock; just the right amount of heat, without overpowering the delicate nature of the fish.

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