Thursday, October 20, 2011

Just say "No" to bland white fish

Tilapia's a recent addition to the American dinner table, and if you don't mind buying it from China, quite the deal.  But where's the zest?

Saute one rather finely sliced onion, one red or orange or yellow bell pepper (too many green bell peppers spoiled the foods of my childhood) and a teaspoon or so of minced garlic in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook on low until soft, say at least ten minutes.  Add  four diced tomatoes, cover and let the vegetables cook down, over low.

Once the tomatoes have self-destructed into sauce,  add a tablespoon of capers and a tablespoon or more of sliced green olives.  Then gently lay your boneless, skinless filets of tilapia over the vegetables, and again gently, cook covered on low, until the filets are cooked through. Not sure how to judge that?  The fish will flake when prodded with a fork.

Serve over rice and enjoy.

9 comments:

  1. Sounds like the perfect method to cook that fish. And quite inventive as well. Add a glass of a crisp fume blanc, soft music, and an attractive dinner partner and make an everning out of it.

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  2. See, you chefs think you're giving us all the details, but you often miss the basics. For example, do you peel the fish before you cook it?

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  3. S: You know, I really worried a bit over which wine, I had opened a very traditional chardonnay, because I wanted one, dammit--but a fume or sauvignon would have been just the ticket.
    AH: I had written filets, but I have revised the directions accordingly.
    What else is a fish knife for if not to peel it?

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  4. Your sauce sounds lovely, but I'm pretty much thumbs down on tilapia. It's a bit of the China thing and a lot of the dead boring.

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  5. Kelly's just in a bad mood because she had to get up before 6 a.m.

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  6. P: A fish knife is an ingenious device to lay naked class differences--in other words, a tool of the oppressor.
    K: Yes, the China thing. I understand.
    AH--Who wouldn't be?!

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  7. I'm with Kelly too. It's the China thing, and also the fact that someone told me they feed tilapia chicken poop.

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  8. I'm not much of a fish eater, and so never heard of tilapia. But I like how this sounds with all the veggies added into the mix. It seems like a nice blend of flavors.

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