Too many people are afraid to cook fish at home. This is a subject I’ve spoken on before in a very general way. But today I thought I should give a specific, simple example of what I mean.
Because, sometimes simple really is best.
Especially when it comes to a tender and delicate fillet of fish. It takes a light hand a few simple ingredients, but a pan sauteed fish is a beautiful thing to behold.
It’s a method you should master.
In this case tilapia, which is a very delicious and sustainable fish. The Seafood Watch rates it a “best choice“if it is tilapia grown and farmed in the U.S. But please “avoid farmed tilapia from China and Taiwan, where pollution and weak management are common.”
Tilapia is a delicate, white (to pinky rose) fleshed fish. It is a very good choice for pan sautéing because it is easy to overcook and benefits from a quick hot pan and all of your attention.
Like I said simple is best.
Pan Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon and Jalapeno based on a prepartion for sole I found in Martha Stewart Living. Though the jalapenos are all me.
You’ll just need a few ingredients: lemons, salt, butter and flour. The extra finely ground varieties like Wondra; keep this preparation light, rather than crusty. So try them if you have them.
I am serving mine with some seared jalapeno halves. But they are strictly an add-on in this dish. I like the bit of heat that they add to the oil the fish cooks in, plus a warm seared jalapeno is something I eat regularly and enjoy with a wide variety of foods.
You could substitute some capers and garlic slices if you like. But even that is not mandatory. Whichever way you go you will need some lemon slices. I would call that a “must have”.
If you are going to serve the jalapenos (or capers and garlic) start with them.
Add the sparest amount of oil to the pan, really just enough to slick the bottom. We are searing, not frying.
I cut the peppers in half lengthwise and put them into a relatively hot pan. Call it medium-high. Start with the cut side down. This way as they cook they will flatten a bit. So when you turn them over more of the pepper’s surface will come in contact with the pan.
Get them good and brown on both sides, but do not cook them too long. You want a little crispness left in them so you don’t dissipate all their fiery goodness.
Remove them to a plate, but keep them handy.
Season the fish with a little salt and a light dusting of Wondra on both sides.
Next melt one or two tablespoons of butter in the same pan (I hope you chose a sloped sided frying pan to assist in turning the fish. Should I have mentioned that earlier?).
When the butter gets foamy, but not yet brown, add the fish to the pan. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Flip the fillets. Add the compulsory lemon slices and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. If you are using the jalapenos (or capers and garlic) they go back into the pan now too.
That’s it. You could deglaze the pan with some white wine since you probably have a glass in your hand. It would make a nice sauce. But again this is only if you are a brown nose and looking for extra-credit.
I am serving mine with the jalapenos, braised chard and Dash Of Stash’s orange jicama salad.
Serve them warm.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Looks great, thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m throwing a party next weekend, I bet my guests will love this cocktail!
Current day martinis are a big rant subject for me.
It’s all 007’s fault. The biggest joke of the series is his drink. When it came out in the 60s drinking was a much more cultured event- neighbors would get together for cocktails and there were many more amateur bartenders out there. Back then, due to international relations, Vodka was viewed as a Russian’s peasant drink. Shaking instead of stirring a drink melts the ice and water it down. So the joke was that the super suave agent was ordering a watered down Russian’s peasant drink- which was hilarious.
Unfortunately this knowledge was lost over time. However, all the hopeless guys at the bars wanted to look cool to pick up women, so they’d order the drink to emulate James. That drink is terrible, it was designed to be bad. A brilliant marketer/bartender decided to make martinis that tasted good, so people would have something to order and enjoy while looking ‘cool.’ That’s where the apple-tini and chocolate-tinis come from. Damn shame.
You are speaking to my soul. But I need more. I agree on so many levels. But can shaken vodka based drinks be uniformly evil? I just think not. I admire perfection, and I apire to it constantly. Please MORE DEATAILS GREG
I don’t think they would be uniformly evil. The 007 martini however, is intended to be that way. Gin has so many flavor profiles on its own that the classic martini makes sense. The aim of vodka is to be flavorless, which is achieved by filtering and removal of impurities (which is where myths of high quality vodka not inducing hangovers comes from). So if we’re working with vodka… there has to be some additional flavor added to the drink. But can a martini really be defined as vermouth, olive, and an easily interchangeable liquor?
That is why it’s always and only gin for me and why I do not attempt them at home anymore. Art should be reserved for artists and I admire them their talents at the bar.
This looks delicious! I wish I knew more about mixology, unfortunately I know just about nothing 🙂
Stick with me. I can help. I am only a mediumly talented mixologist. But we can learn TOGETHER!!!
More importantly I have discovered a new blog I will read regularly.
But let me give you some advice. Use a last name, an initial, or some cute moniker. Because there is this guy named NICK at imafoodblog.com, who lives with a stunning specimen of a woman, also named Sara. He is forever trying to entice her by leaving messages here! If you got one by mistake and were offended, by something I said, I would have to ban my good friend NICK from this blog forever. He’d cry. I’d cry. It would be too sad! GREG
Okay greg…spill the secrets to your photography success. I tried a smiliar thing with the glass measuring cup…and well, let’s just say, I have not posted that recipe as I do not have a good photo to go with it.
Let’s just say I know a few tricks. First when lighting glass always light from below or behind. Never above or direct. You’ll get bad distracting highlights. Which leads to another issue in general, but very particularly a problem with glass. Don’t overlight. Less is better, so a longer shutter is necessary and a tripod becomes essential.
That said. I refuse to let my blog take over my life. So I have a rule about the photography. I will only use a point and shoot and I will only use available light. I still want the best pictures possible, but if they get too slick or too “pro” looking I feel the whole thing loses it’s soul.
Sites like TasteSpotting and FoodGawker would disagree with me I am sure. But if too much emphasis is placed on the photos. The information, the overall message and purpose get lost. Heck, even the the community aspect of it suffers. (in my opinion)…
I do this for fun. I don’t make money at it (though I wish I did). I need to keep it light and simple. My perfectionist nature can be a dangerous and scarey thing. Can you imagine if I got a hold of a digital SLR and some decent stobes? My blog would become a monster and my life would be ruined. GREG
now has a ‘raison d’etre’! It and the potted mint are the sole survivors of our outdoor gardens which are now buried in snow. I will pass this on to the house mixologist with instructions to make it posthaste.
On the subject of fruit and alcohol, how’s the kumquacello coming along?
I gave the kumquacello steeped vodka a little taste last night. It seems a little bitter, and the kumquats still have some color. So I am going to wait some more. GREG
Sounds like my kind of ‘martini’…I like straight up vodka with olives, but would go for this with the orange…I had a great one at my ‘Elements’ experience called a ‘Hemingway’, and reminded me of a mojito martini.
Gorgeous! What a pretty color! I love the basil infused alcohol!
and welcome to SippitySup!. The herby basil notes in this cocktail are very subtle and really help it from being cloyingly too sweet. I hope you be back soon. GREG
Fantastic, i’m having a dinner party this weekend and this will fit in perfectly!
Have one for me! GREG
Seriously, I could drown in that and it would be O.K. because I would be in heaven!
…but just don’t drown in too many of them I won’t be responsible. GREG
The picture just gave me some inspiration for a drink serving idea.
Thanks,
Eric
…either now or sometime soon on your blog. GREG
flavor might be highly dangerous to get a hold of — if one is interested in keep one’s wits and not ending up topless in the back of a convertible drunk-dialing the ex. Looks mighty tasty though. Hey wait, do you think you could sneak a couple of these into Sara for me? I bet she’d pay a pretty penny for the aforementioned photographs! I am totally with you on the perfect martini deal. For gin, I think the best I’ve had was at the Prime Steakhouse in the Bellagio. There is a Russian place right up the street from my house (the kind filled with guys whose $3000 suits don’t hide all 20 of their tats, if you catch my drift) that make a seriously mean one with vodka.
When I made these the other night I practiced enough restraint to not end up out on the road in any form. I was fine the next day. The fruitiness makes them go down easy so beware. But the high ratia of juice to liquor made them safe enough for me to drink 3 with no ill effects, and like I said we were home with no plans of leaving the house. GREG