Macadamia Crusted Baked Corvina Recipe

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This Baked Corvina Recipe is a quick and delicious dish with a huge flavor payoff! Corvina is a luscious white fish and when we crust it in scallion butter and macadamia nuts, it bakes up to a silky fillet with a rich, nutty topping.

Baked Crusted Corvina on a black plate with broccolini, mashed potatoes and lemon wedges

Nuts and fish are a perfect pairing. You might remember our Parmesan & Almond Cod, Pistachio and Olive Grouper and Grilled Argentine Red Shrimp with Pistachio Chimichurri.

Today, we bring a new nutty friend to the party with a Macadamia Crusted Corvina. The fillets are baked, and the scallion butter pulls double-duty, sticking the nuts to the fillets and saucing the fish.

The resulting dish is magic. Tender and moist on the inside and flavorful and crunchy on the outside. This is a fish dish to write home about.

What you'll need to make this recipe:

Ingredients for recipe laid out on a table and labeled

Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:

Fish fillets: corvina is a flaky white fish that works well in many recipes. If you can't find corvina at your local market, substitute Chilean sea bass, halibut or cod fillets. If you have a preferred variety of white fish fillets, it should work in this recipe.

Scallions: the recipe calls for making a quick compound butter with scallions and lemon zest. Substitute chives, fresh diced parsley or very finely diced shallots, if needed.

Full ingredient list and measurements included in printable recipe card below.

Step by step instructions:

1. Make compound butter

Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make scallion lemon butter by combining softened butter with finely diced whites of 2 scallions, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix well.

lemon being zested over butter on a cutting board next to scallions, lemons and macadamia nuts

Dice or process macadamia nuts.

(Note: In testing this recipe with different nuts and chopping methods, I found that macadamia nuts bake up best when they are coarsely chopped, with some finer pieces and some larger pieces in the mix. If the nut mixture is too finely ground, it can create an almost chewy texture. Overall, I preferred the sweet taste and crunchiness of the course nuts.)

Place fish on the baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture across the top of each fish fillet.

4 corvina filets on a parchment paper on baking tray with a knife with butter

Cover each buttered fillet with 2 tablespoons of the ground macadamia nuts, pressing to ensure they stick to the top of the fish.

4 pieces of fish being coated with macadamia nuts on a black tray

Transfer baking tray to the oven and bake fillets for 10-12 minutes. After about 8 minutes, switch your oven to broil and watch the fish closely as the macadamia nuts brown - it usually takes about 3 minutes. Once the fish temperature has reached 145℉ and the nuts are golden brown, remove from oven.

4 macadamia crusted corvina fillets just out of the oven

Garnish each fish fillet with diced green scallions and serve with lemon wedges.

Baked Crusted Corvina on a white plate with broccolini and a lemon wedge, garnished with diced scallions

Check out some of our other delicious white fish recipes:

FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:

If I can’t find corvina, can I use another type of fish in this recipe?

Several types of fish would be good substitutes, including Chilean sea bass, halibut and cod fillets. If you have a preferred variety of white fish fillets, it should work in this recipe.

What goes well with corvina fish in this recipe?

I love serving this Macadamia Crusted Corvina with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed broccolini. Fresh salads like Mediterranean Tossed Salad or Gazpacho Salad would be amazing, as well as Mediterranean Basmati with Lemon and Dill.

Can I use different flavors in the compound butter mixture?

Whatever your heart desires! I think lemon zest along with diced fresh parsley, grated garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper to add a touch of heat to the baked fish would be delicious.

Could I use almonds or pecans on this fish recipe?

Almonds, pecans and walnuts are all good options for crusting a fish fillet.

More about corvina:

Corvina is a mild white fish with tender, flaky flesh. I find it similar to the delicate flavor of sea bass. Corvina is a generic name for a family of fish containing hundreds of species (some of them known as white sea bass or kingfish). They can be found in the temperate coastal waters of the southeastern Pacific, mostly along central and south America, where corvina recipes abound in local kitchens.

This is an incredibly versatile fish, making it perfect canvas for many of our favorite seafood cooking methods. Fillets of this delicious white fish can be prepared in almost any way imaginable. Ideal cooking methods include a baking, breading and frying and stewing. Whipping up a spice rub and tossing the fish on the grill (or indoor grill pan) is another quick and easy option.

And don't forget our Pan-seared Corvina with Harissa Chickpeas and Spinach. It's a rockstar fish dish for busy weeknights or any night of the week.

How to store leftover corvina?

Transfer leftover fish to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake gently in the oven at 350℉ until just heated through.