Talapia fillets

[burbankfoodie]

My husband came back from the fish store Saturday (I think) with fresh Talapia fillets. Two questions - first, do you think they are still save to cook tonight? second question, sadly it is raining here so no grilling which is our normal way to cook fish as I can't stand the smell of fish in my house. Any suggestions/recipes for grilling alternatives? Thanks.

[T42]

I am sure you probably found a recipe to use but thought I would add this one in. I don't remember where I picked up this recipe. On a piece of foil place the filets. Season with celery salt and oregano. Broil for 5 minutes then flip. Rub liberally with Dijon or any dill mustard on top of the filets, a little bit of mayo and a bit more oregano. Sprinkle with Parmesan and broil another 5 minutes until done. Sometimes if the filets are done a little ahead of time, I will sprinkle with a bit of lemon and cover with another piece of foil to rest in the warm oven. It is such a simple fish to work with!

[Hanky]

This little trick works great when cooking fish. Put a pot of water on the stove and add a splash of vanilla. Let it simmer and "voila" no fishy smell.
HTH!
Hank

[burbankfoodie]

Okay, I wound up sort of doing a parchment paper thing in the over (put lime juice, cilantro, grated ginger, a little salt and olive oil). I think I messed up on how to get the parchment paper to stay closed. I used two pieces for each filet and then tried to roll/fold the sides to get it to close, but they wouldn't stay. So, I just folded and then flipped over really quickly to keep them closed that way. Turned out pretty good. Definitely no fish smell which was GREAT and my little boys liked it as well which is always a nice plus (my husband thought is was very tasty).

Might just try using foil next time since the presentation isn't important for my little boys or my husband.

Hank, do you then add a sauce to your fish after poaching it in the vanilla water?

[Sam Fujisaka]

Tip for foil use: don't fold and press too much in an attempt to seal the edges. You can easily tear a small hole in the foil, making it impossible to get the good steamed, juices sealed in results.

[mmuch]

you could probably use tape? not sure about the foil thing, but i guess it couldnt hurt. :) Glad dinner turned out good.

[geekyfoodie]

Staples would work well or use a good amount of excess paper and fold it over and over until it won't unravel.

[Emme]

My default for all fish really is to spray aluminum w/ Pam, sprinkle fish with blackening seasoning, and broil; serve w/ lemon wedges if desired (me, the nut I am, must have ketchup :)

[Romanmk]

Cut the fillets lengthwise where the big side separates easily from the small side. Dredge in cornmeal seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook over medium-high heat with a little oil in a nonstick pan. 2 minutes per side for the little fillets, 4 minutes per side for the big ones.

[alkapal]

won't aluminum foil work the same as parchment paper, or is it porous (enough to make a difference)? even if coated with oil?

[ymushi]

foil works fine.
I tried foil when parchment run out.

But parchment get puff up so it looks great on the dish
than foil.

[alkapal]

agreed, parchment looks much cooler!

[ymushi]

this is my (our) favorite style to eat tilapia.

http://www.redlobster.com/kitchen/rec...

this is from 'red lobster' 's site.
please don't think crap.

recipe said paul somethings seasoning.
but I use seafood seasoning which I have in my house.
lots of dill, no potatoes.

It's very simple dish but tasty. you might want to soak up the juice with good bread.

original recipe said 'salmon'
I guess you can use your favorite kind of fish.

good luck !

[Kelli2006]

My default way for fish is to dredge them in flour, a egg wash and then bread or corn flake crumbs. Sear in a hot skillet with butter/oil season w/ spices of your choice and bake in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes.

[geekyfoodie]

Tilapia's really delicate, so I wouldn't throw them on the grill without putting them in a parchment paper pack or something like that. I grew up eating tilapia and it was always steamed and served with seared ginger (heat a teaspoon of oil hot and throw slivers of ginger into it for a minute or so), scallions, and soy sauce (1:1 soy sauce:water, sesame oil, pepper, heat it until it boils and pour it over the fish). It's simple, but very good. Serve with white rice.

It's also not a very "fishy-tasting" fish once it's cooked. Very mild and the meat is very smooth. I think kids will be ok with it.

[sueatmo]

I have often grilled these on a stovetop grill and had very good success. I like them as sandwiches.

[geekyfoodie]

I see it working on a stovetop grill, but I was thinking of a backyard BBQ grill when I wrote my reply (per the OP's post about not being able to grill outside).

[mmuch]

cook them in parchment paper in the oven. I love them cooked this way. Easy clean up, no stink! ... ps. if they don't smell, you should be ok. and as long as they aren't slimy.(sp)

[burbankfoodie]

Thanks... Do I just wrap in parchment paper and not add anything else in the "package". What temp or about how long should I cook them?

[mmuch]

I would season well with salt/pepper and add maybe some fennel and onion, maybe a few thin-sliced potatoes, and a dew dribbles of olive oil. Wrap tightly(use 2 sheets-one for under fish, one to top it, wrap all sides and bake it for 15minutes at 375. Tilapia is like chicken, very versatile, so you could do almost anything to it with what you have in the house, i.e, peppers, tomatoes, artichokes. I sometimes google fish/parchment to get ideas of what to put in it.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Should be OK.

Poach in teriyaki sauce. Reduce sauce after poaching fillets.

[burbankfoodie]

Not a teriyaki fan but the poaching sounds like a nice non-smelly option. Any other poaching liquid suggestions? Thanks.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Poach in combo fish stock, lemon juice, white wine, bit of ginger.

[alkapal]

sam, isn't that teriyaki sauce going to be really strong tasting -- overpowering the mild-mannered tilapia?

[Sam Fujisaka]

Yes, you're right. But its similar to when people ask if I can taste some of my food because of lots of spiciness. I still taste the tilapia along with the teriyaki after it is poached lightly and served with a touch of the reduced liquid.

[eatmyfood]

If they don't smell fishy, it should be ok to cook. Here is an easy recipe from Gourmet, July, 2003

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/108343

my blog http://www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com

[burbankfoodie]

That looks pretty good. Quick follow up question - we'll be feeding my toddler boys this as well and they don't like spicy. Any suggestions as substitutes for the Chile or ways to tone it down substantially? Lastly, because it is pretty quickly cooked in the pan, does that cut down on the "fish smell"?

[sirregular]

The best way I've found for cooking tilapia is to do it en pappiote with a splash of white wine, leeks, garlic, fresh dill, and a couple slices of lemon. It's extremely simple, goes into a 350F oven for a half hour, and you have a beautiful presentation and a nicely flavored fish.

You'd obviously go for a slightly acidic wine, and drink the same wine with your meal...hard to get a better pairing than that. :)

I like to serve mine with a toasted pine nut and wild mushroom whole wheat couscous.

Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Food News and More - http://www.epicureforum.com