Even heat, crispier crust and edges, carmelization.

I don't think a skillet with broth in the bottom will give you any of those things. I can't see any reason to use a skillet, where a baking dish would work just as well. White fish does look nice in a black cast iron skillet. That's all I've got!

I dunno, but enough broth to cover the bottom--to me means very little broth, just enough to make it wet and have the fish not stick to the cast iron.

I’d definitely first think of doing this in a porcelain baking dish.

I don't see any benefit of a skillet over a baking dish either. I thought maybe they were going to preheat the skillet or something, but as written, I see no reason for it to require a skillet.

It's not like it specifies a cast iron skillet - it just says 'oven-proof'. It's also only 350F oven temp. - I'd think a casserole dish or small baking tray would work just as well.

But...20 minutes for fish fillets? Does that seem excessive to anyone else, even @ 350F?

Depends on thickness

I like my individual 15 oz French White casserole dishes for this type of recipe. I serve in the dishes and cook them on a sheet pan for ease of taking out of the oven.

Me too… i think the directions make no sense

Did you like it with your tweaks? It sounds good. I would have to use cod. I can buy a nice size package at Publix, froze, with two pieces. I do not usually see halibut.

In any case you will never know if there is any benefit to following the recipe exactly vs not following unless you follow the recipe exactly at least one time.

Glass is primarily an insulator and is going to give you a slower heat up and will retain heat longer, metal is a conductor, and it going to hit temperature quicker. SO makes certain things in glass, certain things in metal, or may do some things in one or the other depending upon what texture and finish you want especially on the surface (corn bread in cast iron vs corn bread in glass--neither is wrong, but the outcomes are different.

And cast iron is not going to be any hotter at 325 than glass or ceramic is going to be at 325, they are both going to be 325, just at different rates.

The real question is, I guess, whether the difference makes enough of a difference for the extra maintenance of cast iron.

I think the sloped sides of a skillet (photos in the recipe link) probably lend to more even heating.

@ sherry, yes I liked it.

BTW I am not sure why people's minds went immediately to cast iron. I used a stainless frying pan. I hate the weight and cleaning of cast iron; i do not own one. I have tried to like them! No just no.

But anyway, when I put a skillet in the oven to finish a dish, taking it out by the handle is always fraught. I feel the heat through the oven mitts. Not so with the ears of a lovely white PIllivuyt casserole, for example.

GOOGLE:

Yes, the handle of a metal pan will generally feel much hotter immediately upon removal from an oven compared to a glass dish. While both materials eventually reach the same ambient temperature, metal is a superior conductor, transferring heat rapidly to your hand, whereas glass is an insulator that heats up and releases heat more slowly

I too assumed cast iron for the skillet. No way would I cook in my stainless skillet.

What about these?

https://a.co/d/0dOcXUDP

When I see chefs in restaurants, like on TV or when we dine at a chef's table, etc. I always see a stack of small stainless frying pans. And the MO I see most often is they put a portion of a protein in a hot skillet, sear it, baste it with fat, and then throw it in the oven to cook it through. I totally get the benefits of that method. But it kicks the %$^*$# out of pans for sure. Of course, so does roasting on sheet pans.

And honestly that was what I thought I was going to do, until i actually read the recipe! I will make it again but not in a skillet.

I don't think this is quite as "right" or "wrong" but since it is about following recipes, this makes me think of those low star ratings that some people will give a recipe, but if you read it they will say "I don't like ___ so I didn't put that in" or "I didn't have that so I substituted with this" or "I cooked it at this temperature because that was the temp for what I had in the oven at the same time" or "I added twice as much liquid because ___ didn't seem like enough" and so forth.

The recipe didn't turn out the same way because you didnt follow the directions. It's fine if you want to alter it the next time, but you can't complain about a recipe if you don't follow it.

( I know someone who made something terrible who said "I didn't have cloves of garlic, so I used cloves instead" -- obviously this is when we were young and did not have a lot of experience. )

I did follow the recipe, especially as it related to the methodology, which is what I am asking about here

I would hardly call a sprinkle of garlic powder and scallion garnish not following the recipe.

I had to laugh at this review: Stuffed mine with crab meat and Gruyère cheese!

I read recipe comments for entertainment anymore. Many substitute ingredients to the extent that they're no longer making anything resembling the original recipe. For example, JazzyGrill5408 stuffed their halibut with crab meat and Gruyère cheese. Of course it was delicious--you added crab and cheese!

My favorite comment of all time was years ago in a NYT recipe for turkey meatballs. Thousands of reader comments debated the ratio of egg/turkey/milk, breadcrumbs vs. oats, etc. And buried about halfway down the comments was a single-line review of: "I substituted ground beef for the turkey, and they came out perfectly."

eta, Mtn, we cross posted. I giggled at that review, too. People are interesting.

I find the reviews useful to point out actual errors. They are also often helpful in re portions (eg there was not enough sauce for the dish). But when they get into a lot of substitutions, they usually lose me.

Yes, the reviews that I like follow the recipe, then say perfect, not enough seasoning, way too much broth or not enough sauce, etc.

@mtnrdredux_gw, I didn't even notice that you added garlic powder, and I was talking about substantive changes in general, especially leaving things out. I don't see you leaving a review about a recipe anyway.