Dinner Tonight: Crispy Tilapia with Pico de Gallo Salsa
A glistening bowl of chopped summer tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice—it doesn't get much better than that. But that's the problem with this recipe. If tortilla chips are anywhere nearby, you might skip dinner altogether. If you can guard the fresh pico de gallo long enough to pan-sear some fish—a couple minutes on each side—you'll have a light, healthy summer dinner when combining the two.
I used tilapia in this case, but other white-fleshed fish like halibut will work. All you need to cook the fish: a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a pan of olive oil heated to almost smoking status. This ensures a wonderful crust that isn't overcooked or dry. Use lime juice instead of lemon when the fish comes off the heat, since it'll best marry the pico de gallo flavors.
About the author: Blake Royer lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his free time cooking and writing about it here at Serious Eats and on The Paupered Chef. From 9 to 5 weekdays, he works as an assistant book editor in Manhattan.
Crispy Tilapia with Pico de Gallo
- serves 4 -
Ingredients
4 tilapia fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper
2-3 tomatoes, or a pint box of cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 small bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press
2 limes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Chop the tomatoes and onions and add to a bowl along with the cilantro, finely chopped. Add a few healthy pinches of salt, black pepper, the garlic, and the juice of one lime. Add a touch of olive oil, no more than one tablespoon, and taste. Adjust for seasoning and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, preferably longer for the flavors to marinate.
2. Heat two large nonstick skillets (or one, and cook in batches) over medium-high heat with enough olive oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is almost smoking, lay the fillet in the oil to coat, then turn over to cook opposite side.
3. Cook, without touching, for one to two minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove from the heat and plate, topping with the pico de gallo. Squeeze a little lime juice, crack fresh pepper, and serve.
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6 Comments:
Haven't you read the news? Turns out tilapia is bad for your health! Frankly I'd consider eating it anyway, if it wasn't so mushy and bland. On the plus side, your pico de gallo sounds good.
cookingwithamy at 5:06PM on 08/19/08
Tilapia definitely needs a little more to spruce it up. I usually lightly bread mine with seasoned bread crumbs or crumbs from a robust bread.
DJ Dedd at 5:13PM on 08/19/08
I saw on Dirty Jobs that tilapia are farmed in striped bass tanks -- after the bass are done dirtying up the water, the tilapia are sent in to eat their leavings, as in bass sh*t. No thanks, I'll take a pass on tilapia.
BrianPrestonCampbell at 6:02PM on 08/19/08
Sounds like a simple but delicious recipe. Great for summer, indeed. Tilapia isn't so popular now, so your halibut suggestion is a good alternative. I can imagine cod being a tasty replacement, too.
Yu Ming Lui at 2:47AM on 08/20/08
Looks temping, but I still can’t cook and neither can my wife. We love going out to eat in the city and we tried some Russian-French food at Rasputin in Brooklyn. They had amazing tilapia bundles stuffed with crabmeat in lobster bisque. We also tried the salmon with sautéed spinach in Rasputin’s special sauce. If you can’t cook your own seafood, this is the place to try.
ValeriM at 11:41AM on 08/20/08
As for TILAPIA - I was eeked out about what i read regarding the water they live in. Don't remember the source but it was like a bottom feeder reading. Although it is a TASTY fish, just try not to remember the tank you saw it come out of.
As for the PICO DE GALLO - i tried it and was very good. Gonna make halibut instead with my leftover pico de gallo.
mvilla at 10:40AM on 08/21/08