Monday, April 12, 2010

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia - 'cause everything tastes better on a Ritz



So easy, so fast, so good!


I saw this recipe on Krista's Kitchen last month. She adapted her recipe from Simple and Delicious magazine.  Never willing to leave well enough alone, I added a little something as well... Not rum this time, just a little extra spice.


But I am ahead of my self... Here's what I did...


First, Tilapia... A great little fish.  Best of all, a great little inexpensive fish.  Every freezer should have a bag of these waiting for a I Don't Know What To Cook Tonight meal.  They are also thin, so they cook very fast.  Krista claimed her version came together in 20-30 minutes.  This was the first time I made this recipe, but next time it will come together in 15 minutes.  It's that easy.


You can find Krista's version of the recipe by clicking HERE.


But, here's what I did...


3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 10 crackers)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
6 tilapia fillets (5 ounces each)
2 tablespoons Canola Oil

1/4 tsp "not your Grandmother's HERBES de PROVENCE" times 6


You know how to do this... Set up a series of dredging/dipping stations... Get your oil medium hot in a heavy skillet.  Not too much oil, the fillets are thin.  Only have about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan.


Flour, Coat the fillet in flour


egg, Dip the floured fillet in egg


Cheese-Panko-Ritz, Dredge the floured, eggy fillet through the Ritz mixture, and fry.



VERY IMPORTANT... Only 2-3 minutes per side.  Really, that's it.  The fish cooks fast (thin remember).  Do not over cook the fish.  It should flake easily, and NOT be chewy.

When the first side is done, flip the fish to cook the other side, and sprinkle a bit of spices.  I have a mixture on hand that I call... "not your Grandmother's HERBES de PROVENCE".  If you click the blue letters, you will get to my sister site to see the formula for this.  By having a bag of this already made up, it is just a very convenient way to add a bit of zing to your fish.


A little warm potato salad, and some sauteed onions and asparagus with a blue cheese sauce and this was a winning meal indeed!  Give this a try, easy fast, crunchy and tender, filled with flavors and a great treat!

19 comments:

  1. Love fried fish...and especially love the addition of ritz crackers :)

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  2. Great dish! I am so jealous of the wonderful seafood you must be eating daily.

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  3. LOVE coating with crushed crackers, though I find myself using townhouse - just more buttery, in my opinion! And tilapia is just so darn good.

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  4. Wow that looks great!!! I love tilapia and the next time I make it, I am going to try your recipe.

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  5. I love the crumb mixture you're using here. I suspect you have some really great seafood at your disposal. This looks wonderful. Have a great day...Mary

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  6. Man that fish looks good enough to eat.

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  7. I agree! What a great looking 'crumb' on that fillet. I too love to use tilapia, perfect white meat fish. My favorite, Halibut is not found here in NC fresh, only frozen. And the frozen is as pricey as the fresh here! But hey, beggars can't be choosy, right.

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  8. Your fish came out beautiful! I'm a tilapia fan too, I love that it's mild tasting and cheap. My husband always likes to remind me it's a bottom feeder, to which I cleverly reply, "So?"

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  9. Heh, it's funny, I have a tilapia fillet in my freezer waiting for just that moment. The parm crust looks great!

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  10. Yeah! That looks fantastic... great photos too. I might give fried fish a try on my diet... You see, I can have coconut oil... not too much, no more than 2 TAB a day but I think I could fry the fish in a small pan in 2 T. of coconut oil. And the crackers I would have to exchange for our allotted 2 grissini a day. I will just grind them up. I have Herbs De Provence but not that kind... I'll make do! Fantastic idea Dave... Photos made my mouth water!
    Rainey

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  11. Mmm I love tilapia and like to smother everything I cook in parmesan. This looks awesome.

    I am so glad we are paired up for Taste and Create!

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  12. now that is tilapia done right!

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  13. This looks great, Dave! I'm glad that you couldn't "leave well enough alone". I bet this was phenomenal!

    Thanks for the shout-out! Hope you have a wonderful week in paradise. : )

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  14. Now that I refound my love affair with tilapia, I can't wait to try this recipe.

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  15. For some reason, now I have that 80's song by Paco, "Puttin' on The Ritz" going through my head:)

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  16. I love that fish - looks good enough to eat off the screen!

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  17. Your fried fish look like those serve outside restaurant, very professional and look delicious!

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  18. Perfect crispy fried fish! I saw this on Krista's blog and now I see it here. We rarely eat fish, but if I understand correctly tilipia has a light flavor so I just might have to give this a try.

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