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tilapia with chile butter
Tilapia is fast becoming one of our favorite varieties of fish. It is a firm, mild fish that lends itself to cooking methods that would leave more delicate fish in pieces in the pan or on the grill. It also takes sauces really well.
We first had it last Christmas in Texas when Melanie’s sister Theresa asked me to cook something for her birthday. We decided on fish, the tilapia looked good, and the end result was a Southeast Asian-inspired dish. But that’s not what we have today.
This is a very simple preparation of sauteed tilapia inspired by this recipe that appeared in Gourmet magazine in July 2003. The preparation of the fish is different as are the ingredients for the chile lime butter, substituting ancho powder and red onion for the Thai chile and shallots, but I think it provides a very nice piece of fish with an unctuous, buttery, little-bit-sweet, little-bit-spicy flavor.
This goes great with Mexican rice, which I know we still have to post.
Ingredients:
For the butter:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp red onion, minced
1 Tbsp ground ancho chile
2 tsp lime juice
zest of half a lime
2 tsp salt
For the fish:
1 pound tilapia fillets (no more than 1/2-inch thick), rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1. Combine the softened butter, red onion, ancho, lime juice, zest, and salt in a bowl with a fork until the flavorings are evenly distributed throughout the butter. Lay on a piece of wax paper and form into a log about 1/2-inch thick. Roll up a few times, cut off excess paper, and twist ends. Put in the refrigerator to firm up.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and allow to warm for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a pie plate or dinner plate. Coat the fillets in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.
4. Add the 3 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan. When the butter is melted, turn the heat to high and add the fillets without crowding the pan. Saute for about 3 minutes or until the bottom is nicely browned. Shake the pan occasionally to keep it from sticking and to allow the butter and oil to get under the fish. Carefully flip the fillet and brown the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
5. Remove the fillets to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Saute the remaining fillets. If the butter begins to burn, replace it with fresh butter and oil.
6. When all the fish is cooked, slice the chile lime butter into dollops and serve on top of the fillets. The butter should not be rock hard, but still soft.
Serves 4
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