Bobby, Personality I don't like Tilapia. If I'm going to eat fish, I want it mild but I also want it to have some flavour. I find Tilapia totally flavourless. Try just pan frying , just dipped in seasoned flour. Serve with brown butter with lemon and parsley. Or you could dip it in flour, egg and fresh bread crumbs seasoned with lemon zest and parmesan cheese. (the breading for the Parmesan crusted Halibut.)

You might want to try sole. It is also a mild fish, but better tasting than Tilapia.

Ann

My kids love tilapia, probably because as Annsaid, it is really mild and almost bland.

Anyway, it is particularly tasty turned in a bit of well seasoned bread crumbs (or panko) with a bit of parmesan mixed in and pan fried in just a few drops of olive oil. A heafty squeeze of lemon and you would be all set. I often serve it with steamed veggies and cous cous.

Alexa

I like it pan fried too. Blot it really well on paper towels to get all the excess moisture out before coating it.

Basically, you can use Tilapia the same way you use Pacific Red Snapper, or Rock Cod. I don't have a lot of recipes to offer, as I stay pretty simple when I cook fish.

Dore style is nice...dredge the filet lightly in flour, then dip in an egg wash, and cook over a med-high heat in a good quality saute pan that conducts heat evenly until the coating is showing just a little brown and the fish is tender when you poke the thickest part with a fork. Undercook a bit rather than overcook, if in doubt. I use butter to saute it in, but if you're watching fats/calories, any oil or even Pam would do. I just like the flavor butter adds.

With your citrus fruits, you could make a compound butter to top it with. Soften a stick of butter (don't melt it, just get it good and soft), and blend in some citrus zest. Dice some of the citrus flesh and fold the chunks into the butter. Put the butter into a zip lock bag and smooth into a cylinder, pushing the air out of the bag. Refrigerate, and when you're ready to eat your fish, slice a round of butter from the refrigerated "log" and melt on top of the fish. You can vary this butter in so many ways. I like to add minced garlic, capers or grated ginger root. Cilantro makes a tasty compound butter as well. Or a mixture of any of these ingredients and whatever else your imagination comes up with. Sundried tomatoes in oil can be minced and blended into butter...very tasty.

However, again, if you are watching fat/calories, you might make a citrus salsa to top your fish. Chop up citrus flesh into a fairly large dice. Add a bit of zest to taste, some minced green chilis or a splash of hot sauce (if you're more timid regarding spicy hot foods),garlic, onions, cilantro if you've got any, or fresh mint...really, anything that sounds good. A few tablespoons of this goes quite well with fish done Dore style.

I got this recipe from the boards years ago and just love it:

Fish Fillets with Crabmeat Stuffing

4 medium size fillets of any good white fish, red snapper (rockfish) preferred, (note from Ang - I use tilapia) seasoned with salt and pepper.

Mix in a bowl:

3 oz of crabmeat or shrimp. Preferably fresh.
3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
ý cup chopped green onions
3 Tbls light olive oil or butter
Salt, pepper to taste, a little water if necessary
Dash of Old Bay Seasoning

Pat crabmeat stuffing on top of two of the filets and place the other two filets on top. YouâÂÂll have what looks like crabmeat sandwiches. Pin filets together with toothpicks or skewers, drizzle with a little more oil or butter. Sprinkle on a bit more salt, pepper and dash of Old Bay Seasoning. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. If the filets are of uniform thickness to begin with, youâÂÂll have less trouble getting everything done at the same time. Cut filets in half at the table.

Since talapia was recently reported to be unhealthy, why not make it worse and deep fry it? Seriously though, the other day I saw this on Cooking for Real, a show which I don't really watch but it caught my eye. The few reviews are good. From foodtv.com...

Cerveza-Battered Fish Tacos with Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: hr min Cook Time: 10 min Level:

Intermediate Serves: 4 servings

Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons salt
12 ounces beer
3 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber, recipe follows

Fill a large pot with oil halfway up the pot. Heat oil to 350 degrees F. Preheat grill.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Slowly whisk in beer until thick, but not runny. Dredge fish in remaining flour first, then dunk in the batter. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper-toweled lined plate.

Meanwhile, grill tortillas on grill.

Serve fish in tortillas topped with Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber.

Quick-Pickled Onion and Cucumber:
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 large red onion, medium dice
1 large Vidalia onion, medium dice
1 English cucumber, medium dice
1 habanero chile, seeds removed, minced
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, sugar, water, and salt. Add onions and cucumber and continue to cook a few minutes more. Remove from heat, add chile, and transfer to a bowl. Let cool slightly then chill covered, for at least 1 hour.
Toss in the tomato and cilantro, 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 cups

When was tilapia reported to be unhealthy? And unhealthy in what way?

Alexa

This is fairly recent info about Tilapia. If you do a search on Tilapia Health Risks, you'll find more info.

Bonnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Tilapia health risks

I sure don't find tilapia tasteless...I think it's a sweet fish, very similar to farm raised catfish.
I think you will like it crusted with ground almonds.
Put a handful of almonds in the blender and turn it to dust...well almost dust.
Put it on a plate and add some grated lemon rind ands tir it in. Dip your fillets in a little melted butter and coat with the nut mix and bake at 350 for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the fish just flakes.
I first had tilapia when I was on safari. there was lots of strange things that wew ere served, things like things that tasted like sweet potatoes but where white and all sorts of different fruits that I have never heard of before or rarely since....and one day at lunch theys erved up this delicious pan fried fish. I asked what it was and was told it was tilapia from lake Victoria. I have since learned that tilapia was first farmed in an area near Lake Victoria.
Now turbot....that's a fish I consider tasteless.
Linda C

I've sent off an email to Monterey Bay's Seafood Watch program linking the above article to them for review. I know that Chinese farmed tilapia is to be avoided at all costs (grown in polluted waters) and we should stick to South American sourced fish.

I coat mine in black sesame seeds and pan fry in a tiny bit of oil.

I've never had tilapia but I like to use a ground almond coating for some types of white fish that we buy here. Dip fish in beaten egg, seasoned flour and then ground almond. Press the almond gently onto the surface to make sure all parts are coated, then cook in butter/oil mixture 4 minutes per side. Be careful to use two spatulas to turn fish over so the coating stays on.

I also sometimes add a bit of grated lemon zest to the ground almond.

SharonCb

Oops guess I was sleeping.....first the flour.....then the egg and then the ground almond in that order, but I guess you'll know that.
Sorry....:-)

SharonCb

Bobby this is how I make Tilapia and it's always a huge hit with my son.

Pour olive oil, fresh garlic, black pepper in a baking dish. Add Tilapia, flop it around in that mixture and let it marinate for a couple of minutes to a couple of hours,not a big deal.

Then bake it at 400. I do 15 min one side, flip it and do another 10 mins.

It's delicious.

Thanks for the tilapia tips. I can't wait to try them out!

Tialpia is a nice sweet fish that sautes well, but do not overcook it. It makes for a fast dinner.

I season it with a few dash of Old Bay Original or the Lemon and Herb flavor, or just saute in butter and top it with some of the wonderful tomato butter compound that was posted here earlier this year.

What you trying to put those Florida Indians out of work?

Peppi, that's kind of what I did. When I got in from work tonight, my internet connection was down so I couldn't refer back to this thread. I heated a very heavy pan, smeared some olive oil in it, and then covered the bottom in lemon pepper and old bay seasoning. I cooked the fillet until I felt it was done, just flipped once. It looked great (the pepper from the lemon pepper helped with that, it was speckled nicely) and tasted great as well. It had a very mild flavor, but it did have some flavor. I boiled the last of the pre-seasoned yellow rice had and it was perfect side.

I HAVE FOUND IF I RUB BOTH SIDES OF THE FILETS WITH MELTED BUTTER, AND SPRINKLE WITH LEMON PEPPER SEASONING. PUT IN YOUR BAKING DISH AND TOP WITH RITZ-TYPE CRACKERS THAT HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AND MIXED WITH JUST ENOUGH MELTED BUTTER TO HOLD THEM TOGETHER. BAKE IN 400 DEGREE OVEN FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. I USUALLY SERVE IT WITH STEAMED OR ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND LITTLE RED POTATOES STEWED UNTIL TENDER. DRAIN POTATOES, ADD A LITTLE BUTTER, SOME LEMON JUICE AND CHOPPED FRESH CHIVES. A VERY QUICK TASTY MEAL. MIGHT NOT BE POPULAR WITH KIDS BUT MY DH AND I LIKE IT A LOT

JUDE