We present this helpful outline of ways to not mess up your tilapia with the hopes that you
and this ever-present white fish can move forward together, forming a better, more
delicious bond. And that bond includes seasoning the hell out of it and drowning it in butter.
While the fish in the frozen food aisle are perfectly edible,
it may be wise to find the fish counter and have a look at the fresh options behind the glass.
Or, if you have the option,
you might consider buying quality tilapia at a reputable seafood market in your neighborhood.
Make sure your new fishmonger's shop has a briny smell — similar to the ocean — but
doesn't smell overly "fishy." Ask where the fish is from? And if it's the freshest they have?
"So you just go in there and say, ‘Gimme a fish'?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
If your fishmonger isn't a conversationalist — or if you're limited to a grocery store selection —
there are expert ways to spot a good fillet on your own. According to Better Homes & Gardens,
fresh fish will have a mild scent, not a strong odor. When buying a whole fish, check to see
that the eyes are bright and almost bulging, and the gills should be a bright red or pink.
There's also the elasticity test. Press gently on the fish's flesh
and let go. A lingering imprint is a bad sign.
Many seafood markets also have newsletters you can subscribe to.
Or sign up to receive emails about fresh catches or seafood sales.
You may also be able to follow them on social media. The point is you want to be informed and
always look for the best quality tilapia — and any fish for that matter — that you can find.
For the environmentally conscious, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program
offers a well-tested guide to help you find seafood that supports a healthy ocean.
They're categorized into best choices, good alternatives, and what to avoid.
The program's recommendations are designed to help consumers
shop for seafood that's been fished or farmed with less environmental impact.
For tilapia, Seafood Watch recommends you purchase tilapia farmed in raceways in Peru,
or from ponds in Ecuador. A best choice is tilapia farmed in indoor recirculating tanks
with wastewater treatment. Good alternatives include farms without wastewater treatment,
but still recirculating tanks, and countries of origin like Colombia,
Honduras, Mexico, Indonesia, and Taiwan. Avoid tilapia that is farmed in China.
Another tip: Find tilapia that is eco-certified by Aquaculture Stewardship Council,
Best Aquaculture Practices, and Naturland.
Most seafood counters provide information on where their fish comes from. If it doesn't,
that may be a sign you need to find a new market.
And if you're on the go, there is a Seafood Watch app for iOS and Android.
But what does this have to do with cooking tilapia?
Well, we believe a guilt-free dinner will always taste better.
Storing perishable food, from cheese to veggies, and especially fish,
is something that can trip up the most seasoned home cook. Does it stay on the counter, on ice,
or go inside the fridge? Should it stay in any particular area of the fridge?
It all depends on how you've brought home your fish — but no matter what,
fish has to be kept very cold. Okay, maybe not that cold!
Surround your tilapia with ice in a plastic bag and put in the fridge until dinner.
If you plan to cook your tilapia — or any type of fish — later,
other measures must be taken to keep it from going bad.
First, place your fish in plastic or parchment paper if it isn't already,
and store it using the double-bin method. The fish is placed in ice in a container
with holes. The melting ice water will drain into the second bin. However, be sure the flesh
does not directly touch the ice or water, as it will deteriorate the outer layer of the fish.
Another cool tip involves whole fish — also known as fish in the round — or headed and gutted fish.
These fish should be stored surrounded by shaved ice and placed in the same position in which they
swim. The method allows for gravity to do its thing, not affecting the tissue or blood lines,
resulting in the least amount of damage to the flesh and an overall better flavor.
It's always a good idea to cook fish fresh,
the day of or the day after you bring it home. You're first choice shouldn't be to freeze it.
As Bon Appetit says, freezing takes away from tilapia's already delicate flavor.
But if you must toss your just-brought-home fillet into the freezer, here's how not to do it.
"Ryler."
And here's how to do it the right way: Throw your fillets of tilapia into plastic
bags or a storage container. Lean fish can last six to eight months in the freezer.
But if you want your tilapia to last up to a year in the freezer, vacuum-seal your fish. First,
dry the filets before vacuum sealing or wrapping in order to keep freezer burn off the flesh.
Ensure all air is removed from the freezer bag, seal, and store.
Another method of freezing tilapia is called ice glazing. Glaze fish by dipping it in cold water,
placing it on a sheet pan, and putting it in the freezer. When the water on your fish freezes,
take it out, dip again, and repeat until you have a quarter-inch-thick "glaze" of ice.
This method takes time, but does a great job of keeping the fish from drying out.
Thawing is just as important as freezing.
Avoid putting your frozen tilapia in the microwave.
The microwave may shock the flesh, affecting the texture.
Even in defrost mode, the microwave may cook the thinner parts of the fillet.
Do not thaw your tilapia at room temperature, such as leaving it on the counter. Instead,
let your fish thaw in the fridge or placed in cold water. When placing your fish in water to thaw,
keep the packaging or seal on. Otherwise the flesh will "suck up" water and result in a soggy fillet.
While you can cook tilapia straight from the freezer,
it's not recommended — and will probably make your fish lose much of its flavor.
There's another way to ensure your tilapia turns out first-rate before cooking:
You've got to salt it. Like with steak, you're free to salt the fillet before cooking it.
A 15-minute salting period is recommended, followed by patting the fillet dry with a
paper towel. This salting session magnifies the mild flavor while keeping the flesh moist.
Salt seasons your fish and helps it retain moisture.
Pan-fried tilapia starts with cutting tilapia fillets in half, then sprinkling both sides with
kosher salt. Let them stand at room temperature for about five minutes. Then pat fish dry.
You can also salt your tilapia throughout the cooking process.
If you're frying the fish, add olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper along the way.
Cast iron skillets are a blessing for many novice cooks and professional
chefs. Seeing how the cast iron culture is catching on, many households now have more
than one. But should you sauté your tilapia fillet in a cast iron? Bon Appetit says no.
A guide to what and what not to cook in a cast iron skillet mentions tilapia specifically.
Sautéing a tilapia in cast iron may muck up your presentation,
as the fillet itself tends to flake apart if you're using a spatula to scrape it up.
Epicurious agrees, reporting that flaky white fish like flounder or tilapia will most likely
fall apart when you try to flip it in a cast iron skillet. Or worse yet, stick to the
skillet completely, leaving a layer of fish you'd rather be eating seared to your cast iron pan.
Instead, Epicurious recommends cooking your fish in a stainless-steel nonstick skillet.
This way, your tilapia will be cooked to
perfection and you'll enjoy every last scrumptious bite!
If you're not a grill sergeant, taking your cooking outside can be tricky — and
that becomes even more true when considering fish. While there are tons of tips to cooking
perfect seafood on the grill, if you're a newbie, tilapia should probably stay indoors.
Because it's so delicate, tilapia is best served as a fried, steamed, baked, or broiled dish.
However, there are ways to cook highly fragile fish like cod,
flounder, and even tilapia on the grill. Use foil or a cedar plank or wire grilling
basket to properly cook these kinds of fillets — these tools will help keep your fish intact.
If you must cook your tilapia directly on the grill, here's what to keep in mind:
Get a fillet that's at least one-inch thick so that it's substantial enough to handle the heat.
Also, be sure to clean your grill well before you
start — this ensures your fillet won't stick and break apart when flipping.
Avoid coating your fish in a sugary glaze, which may burn and blacken from the intense heat.
And finally, only flip once — more than that and your tilapia might crumble to oblivion.
Give your pan time to heat before you add oil and tilapia.
The result of an unheated pan is fish that doesn't properly brown. Wait until the pan is heated,
and then wait a few minutes more. Only then should you add oil and other ingredients.
And here's a tip on when to add fish: If you want to make sure the oil is hot enough to get cooking,
add a few breadcrumbs to see if they sizzle on contact.
If you're pan-frying or sautéing a fillet or whole tilapia,
leave it alone. The more you move tilapia in the pan, the more juice it costs you,
which may result in the tender fish breaking. In other words, the less you push, touch,
flip, or shake the tilapia, the better it'll be — in appearance and taste.
But when do you flip your fish? It depends on the size and thickness of
the tilapia — usually after three minutes on one side.
Also, watch as the flesh changes color from the pan upward. When it reaches halfway
through the fillet, flip it. It's done cooking when the two lines nearly meet.
The moral of the story is try not to be overly anxious when sautéing your tilapia. You want all
the meat intact, whether in fillet or whole form — that way, it's much easier to plate the fish.
Remember that line from Julie & Julia, when the frazzled Amy Adams poses an important question:
"Think it over: every time you taste something that's delicious beyond imagining
and you say, 'What is in this?' — the answer is always going to be butter."
And tilapia is no exception. Paired with a little rice and colorful bell peppers,
or whatever your favorite veggie is — scrumptious! Of course, if you'd rather go easy on the butter,
or not use any at all, you can't go wrong baking with olive oil, garlic and lemon!
Be thoughtful as to how many ingredients you're adding to the pan.
We're not talking about over seasoning your tilapia — we're talking about overcrowding.
When the pan's whole surface is covered with ingredients like fresh-cut vegetables,
herbs, or even too many fish fillets, there's no way for the heat to escape.
Trapped heat means lots of steam. And steam is the enemy. Steam keeps meat, especially fish,
from turning that desired golden brown you're looking for.
It causes the fish to boil. That's no good if you're hoping for a delicious,
crispy tilapia. Without that nice sear, there's nothing keeping the juices inside.
If you're making lots of tilapia, either make sure you have a large
enough pan and don't put much else in it — or make them in shifts,
keeping the first couple fillets on a plate under a dish towel or some paper towels.
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