CITRUS CRUSTED TILAPIA FILETS

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Citrus and fish, unbeatable combo! Until now, I accepted the idea that one of my favorite preparations for delicate fish filets came with a small tax to pay for the fat used to fry it. But, when I saw this recipe on How Sweet It Is, I hoped it would be my ticket to a lighter version of the classic. To be completely honest, I had my doubts, because not too long ago I tried a similar method for pork schnitzel (from Everyday Food) and it was a huge disappointment. I am glad to report NO disappointment here, quite the contrary, this recipe is a keeper!

CITRUS CRUSTED TILAPIA
(adapted from How Sweet It Is)

4 fresh (or thawed) tilapia filets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
zest of 2 oranges, 1 lime and 1 lemon
2 egg whites, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the wire rack with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, add bread crumbs, flour, citrus zest and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg whites, add a teaspoon of water to make it looser.

Season each piece of tilapia with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of fish in the beaten egg whites, allow the excess to drip, then coat with your mixture of breadcrumbs, pressing well to adhere. Place on the wire rack and spray lightly with olive oil spray.

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden. Depending on how thick your filets are, it could take slightly longer. Test with a knife to see if the fish flakes easily, then it’s done.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Jessica served her fish filets with a beautiful blood orange salsa, perfect complement to the dish, but this time I took a more austere route, went with white rice and stove top blasted broccoli (a favorite side dish of ours).

This recipe was a breeze to put together, the fish turned out moist, perfectly cooked, with the crust delivering a burst of citric flavor. The secret for success is spraying the olive oil over the coating before baking the filets. That ensures just the right amount of fat to moisten the crumb layer and give it a hint of color. Much lighter than the usual method with a frying pan, but without skimping on flavor. I am not at all interested in reducing calories if it will hurt my food. This is a perfect example of a make-over that is worth adding to your repertoire of meals.

I highly recommend you stop by How Sweet It Is to get her full recipe, including the blood orange salsa. It will be on our table next time, all I need is to find that elusive orange for sale. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Bran Muffins: not just for hippies!

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate Flourless Cake

9Apr2011

MAHI-MAHI

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I fall in love with words quite easily. Mahi-mahi…. is just one of the many beautiful Hawaiian words. When we visited Oahu I found it fascinating to read the street names, which for the most part were quite hard for a foreigner to remember: Kamehameha, Mamalahoa, Kealakehe, Hualalai. They all seemed so…. musical!

It turns out that the Hawaiian alphabet lacks a few consonants: C, J, Q, and X. It also makes no distinction between K and T. When the complexity of a language decreases at one level, it often compensates on another. The fewer consonants probably explains why so many Hawaiian words have duplicated syllables, giving the spoken language a playful component that’s quite pleasing. But, I digress… mahi-mahi (by the way, “mahi” means “strong”) is one of my favorite fish, at the top with striped sea bass. It has a mild, but definitely not bland flavor, and a meaty texture that’s perfect for grilling, as this recipe (another gem I got from my friend Heather) will convince you.

GRILLED MAHI-MAHI WITH CITRUS MARINADE
(from Heather’s kitchen)

2 filets of mahi-mahi (may substitute other firm-fleshed fish)

for the marinade:
2 T fresh lime juice

3 T rice vinegar

1 T finely chopped ginger

1 T finely chopped scallions

3 T mild vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)

1 T soy sayce

1/2 t Asian chili sauce (optional)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare a marinade by whisking all ingredients together. Marinate the fish for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge. Grill until cooked through.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was one of the tastiest dinners in the past few weeks. A fish like mahi-mahi is delicious on its own, so the less you mess with it, the better it is. This preparation was perfect: a hint of lemon, a little heat, and nothing else. No elaborate toppings, crusts, or sauces. A simple, delicious meal, as healthy as it gets.

We loved it with roasted asparagus, and with a mixture of white rice and wheat berries that, all modesty aside, was a spur of the moment inspiration that had me patting myself on the back. I spotted some white rice in the fridge and some cooked wheat berries that I was saving for a salad. I just mixed them and warmed them in the microwave. It was an absolutely delicious combination that will be a regular production in the Bewitching Kitchen.

ONE YEAR AGO: Memories of Pasteis

9Sep2010

YES, WE CAN (on the GRIDDLE)

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I wish I could say that I made this dish, but the credit goes to my dear husband, who prepared petrale sole filets on our griddle, something we’ve never attempted before. Our default method for this fish is the classic “sole meuniere“, which is ready in minutes in a luscious butter sauce, with lemon, parsley and capers. Healthwise, it’s a bit of a wash: the fish is so light and healthy, but it’s swimming in butter… Nevertheless, the taste is awesome (worth every molecule of saturated fat it contains).

Seriously. this griddled alternative was absolutely delicious, undoubtedly also from the high quality of the fish. It’s so nice to have a fish monger nearby!

GRIDDLE-FRIED FILET OF PETRALE SOLE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

filets of sole
lemon juice
all purpose flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil to coat the griddle
(small pad of butter, optiional)

Rinse the fish briefly, dry with paper towels. Sprinkle a little lemon juice all over the filets and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each filet in salted/peppered flour or very carefully shake the filets in a paper bag with seasoned flour.

Coat the surface of the griddle with a tablespoon of oil, set it at maximum temperature (ours goes to 400F), and cook each filet about 5 min per side, until both sides are golden brown and the fish is cooked through. In the last couple of minutes squeeze some lemon and drop a small pad of butter among the filets, if you like. Serve with lemon wedges.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: When your are fortunate enough to find fresh petrale sole, the less you mess with it, the better it will be. It’s such a terrific, delicate fish, don’t suffocate it with powerful flavors. We were amazed by how well the griddle fried it. In a sautee pan, even with high heat, the coating may become soggy. This doesn’t pose a problem in a classic sole meuniere, because the pan sauce coats the fish and distracts from the texture. Griddle-frying, on the other hand, resulted in crisp, dry filets that weren’t greasy, and the lemon juice sealed the meal. Amazing that we had to travel a thousand miles to a downsized kitchen to discover this way to cook a fish filet!

ONE YEAR AGO: Barm Bread