Panko-crusted tilapia
Description
A couple of years ago, my little dog, Jino, got very, very sick. No illness known to mankind was going to triumph over my love for this animal, and I was determined to find a way to make him better. Long story short--I took Jino to a specialist, who diagnosed Jino with "protein-losing enterophathy." The treatment was either heavy drugs or a radical, and permanent change in his diet. I chose the no-meds option, and I now cook all of Jino's food for him, which consists of tilapia, sweet potatoes, a multivitamin powder and walnut oil. I'm happy to report that Jino is in full remission--we adhere to the strict diet, lots of exercise and an absurd amount of love and he is thriving! This is a picture of him about to tuck into a meal of tilapia and sweet potatoes:
So...that's how I really got acquainted with tilapia. Tilapia is a very low-fat fish that has lots of protein and a good dose of vitamin D. It's sustainable and available year round.
The first time I had it, I must admit that I wasn't crazy about it--it had a rather earthy flavor that overwhelmed my palate. This surprised me because it's supposed to have a mild flavor and I would have thought it would lend itself well to any number of preparations. I didn't eat it again for a while.
However, this last summer, I spent about a month with my parents, helping out when my mom had a knee replacement. Her appetite was rather meager, but she needed some good, healthy protein and she was a little tired of eggs. She loves fish, but they live in a region where seafood is scarce. I turned to tilapia because it was readily available, a great source of protein, and well...it had fixed my Jino up so well, that I was willing to bet that it would do the same for mom!
I started by brining the fish to see if that would help out with the earthy flavor. I quickly learned that you have to be careful with this step because the fish can get too salty very quickly. It only needs about 15-20 minutes in the brine to give it a nice flavor--brining also helps with keeping the fish from drying out so easily during cooking.
After that, I chose a seasoning that I've used on fish many times--Penzey's Sunny Spain, which is kind of lemon-pepper seasoning without the salt. I dredged the fish in a little flour, pan fried it in a little olive oil, and it came out fine. I still cook it this way--it's quick and easy, but a little boring.
Next, I tried more or less all of the above, but dipped the fish in a little egg wash and some panko crumbs, then pan-fried in a little olive oil, and came up with a much more satisfying alternative. A low-fat, healthy version of fried fish. Serve it up with your favorite tarter sauce, or not--Mr. Stone Soup Cook uses it, but I find that I don't need it.
Now for the question of earthiness: I still run into the "earthy" taste from time to time, but I think it has to do with how fresh the fish is. When I buy it from my favorite fish monger, Cody, it doesn't have the earthy flavor--I really only occasionally run into it when I stray from Cody's careful selections; so...I recommend finding a reliable fish monger and sticking with them!
Oh, and I'm happy to report that mom has made a full recovery from her knee replacement surgery. Another miracle cure from the tilapia fish? We'll never know, but it certainly didn't hurt!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Start by brining the fish in a brining solution of 1/2 cup Kosher salt, 2-3 tablespoons of sugar dissolved in 3-4 cups of cold water. I use a reusable watertight bag, such as a "Stashers" for this step. Depending on the thickness of your filets, brining can quickly make your fish too salty; so, the first time you brine your tilapia fish, only brine for 15-20 minutes until you find your happy medium.
Remove the fish from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with a seasoning such as Penzey's Sunny Spain, which is a seasoning similar to lemon-pepper, but with no salt.
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Whisk the egg and place it into a shallow dish. Pour about half the panko crumbs onto a plate, or into another shallow dish.
In a large, heavy pan (cast iron is ideal!) heat olive oil, or a high heat oil, such as pecan or sunflower oil over medium-high heat until it shimmering, but not smoking. Sunflower oil is especially tasty with this recipe!
Dip the fish in the egg and then roll the filet in the panko crumbs, to thoroughly cover.
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When the oil is hot, carefully place the prepared fish filets into the pan--try not to over crowd--you may need to do this in a couple of batches. Keep your splatter screen handy to catch any splatters!
Let the fish cook, uninterrupted for a couple of minutes and then lift a corner to check for doneness--the panko crumbs should get a lovely, deep golden brown.
When color looks good, carefully flip the fish using a fish spatula and cook for another couple of minutes. This fish is very lean, so depending on the thickness of your filet, it will only take a couple of minutes to cook per side. Be careful to not overcook the fish.
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Remove fish and serve immediately with a side of asparagus and quinoa.
Enjoy with a lovely Albarino or Viognier.
