Sauteed Tilapia Latin Style

Shallots, white wine and lemon drizzle give this dish "tang," while the pinto beans, cumin and corn chips swing it south of the border.

This dish is fragrant, tangy and delicious.




Tilapia is a pretty tasteless white-meat fish. It takes on the flavors of the other foods around it, so I latinized this dish with cumin, pinto beans and corn chips, swung it French with white wine and grooved it Italian with flat leaf parsely. Finally, a bed of Basmati rice from India gives the dish a delicate, nutty aroma. Note: Tilapia is fragile. Don't cook it too long! The recipe and directions are below.

I am pairing this recipe with the mournful standard, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.

This song, made famous by Frank Sinatra, is all about lost love, mistakes and a wish for forgiveness. Who hasn't been on one side of that or the other?

On the KiTCHEN MuSIC album, legendary sax player Walter Beasley plays a bluesy solo while I sing. He's awesome. I created a new arrangement of In the Wee Small Hours using my acoustic guitar, an open chordal approach, and a throbbing bass backbeat.

Sauteed Tilapia Latin Style
by Roberto Mighty

PREP TIME: 12 minutes. Cook time: 16 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to cover bottom of large saute pan)
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1/2 fresh lemon, seeds removed
2 Tilapia FIlets
Fresh black peppercorns in peppermill
Fresh Cilantro leaves, about two fingers' worth
1 medium red rip tomato, sliced into eighths
1/3 cup White Wine (for simmering)
Ground Cumin, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, to taste
Cooked Basmati Rice, about 1 cup
Cooked Pinto Beans, about 1 cup
Corn Chips, handful
Italian-style Flat Leaf Parsley (or leftover Cilantro) for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. Have all ingredients ready before turning on the stove
2. Heat your large saute pan over medium heat
3. Slowly (no splashing, alright?) pour in the extra-virgin olive oil
4. When olive oil is hot (when it runs like water, just before it smokes)...
4. Turn heat down to medium low and saute Shallot & onion mixture
5. Season with a pinch of kosher salt
6. Drizzle most of the juice of one-half lemon into pan. No SEEDS!
7. Season both sides of Tilapia filets with salt & pepper to taste
8. Drizzle remainder of lemon juice over the Tilapia
9. When shallot/onions are translucent, lay Tilapia filets on top in the pan
10. While Tilapia is cooking, shred cilantro leaves over the filets
11. Place tomato slices into the pan by the sides of the Tilapia, so the tomato touches pan directly, mixing with olive oil, shallot/onion, etc.
12. Add a pinch of kosher salt to the tomatoes
13. Remove pan from flame, add white wine, shaking pan to make sure wine covers the entire bottom surface. Reduce heat to low
14. Simmer in white wine for three minutes, basting Tilapia once per minute
15. Sprinkle ground cumin over the Tilapia
16. Test Tilapia for doneness: press with fork. If it gives way immediately and is white all the way through, IT"S DONE!
17. PLATING: Put down a bed of the Basmati rice on the plate
18. Place strands of cilantro around the perimeter of the rice
19. Put the beans on the side of or on top of the rice
20. Place the Tilapia on top of the rice and or rice & beans
21. Using a large spoon, array the tomatoes and sauce (white wine, olive oil, shallots/oions) around the outside of the rice bed. Add parsley leaves around the perimeter
22. Stick the corn chips upright into the rice/beans mixture in some pleasing pattern, like a fin-backed fish.
23. Take a photograph of your masterpiece
24. Now, eat it :-)

ENJOY! - Roberto
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