I will admit: Tilapia is not my favorite fish. It's so bland tasting, it doesn't have as much of the good stuff (such as omega-3) compared to some other seafood but on the flip side, a no-fishy-taste, bland fish does give us a lot of opportunity to work our magic.
Incorporating herbs in a meal can add a burst of flavors and beautiful colors. When the parsley, chives and dill are gently pressed into the fish and all pushed into the broiler, a fresh, savory aroma will reach your sense of smell and fill your kitchen.
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For this dish, I'm trying something new -- Ghee. If you have used ghee before, please share with everyone the dishes you used it for! I'm not sure if using ghee rather than butter has enhanced this particular dish or not so if you prefer to use butter rather than ghee, I'm sure your tilapia would still come out wonderful.
Tilapia is a fish that is high is protein and very low in fat, which is a good and bad thing. Fat adds flavor. For this recipe, because we are exposing the fish to very high heat in the broiler, we need to coat the fish in oil to prevent the fish from drying out. Gently brushing the fish with some olive oil adds flavor to the fish and prevents it from drying out.
My broiler is on the bottom of the oven. I have to get down on my hands and knees and forcefully pull the bottom drawer out (it's a really old oven). If your broiler is on the top of the oven (lucky you), station an oven rack on the top shelf. If your broiler is on the bottom, like me, put your pan 3-4 inches away from the fire. Lining your baking pan with foil and folding up the sides of the foil can prevent the oils from leaking onto the pan -- it really helps with the cleaning process.Since we've coated the fish with olive oil on both sides, we do not need to add anymore oil on the foil to prevent sticking.
The final product, depending on how long you keep the fish under the broiler for, comes out like this (top and bottom picture). 3-6 minutes is my recommended time frame for tilapia under the broiler. The tilapia above was left in the broiler for only 3 minutes (4 minutes would be fine if your fish is slightly thicker). 3 minutes in the broiler keeps the fish delicate, soft, and very very slightly undercooked -- which is fantastic for when you get a very very fresh piece of fish. The tilapia on the bottom picture was in the broiler for 6 minutes. I recommend 6 minutes in the broiler for those who enjoy a crispy top layer and a well done, but not dry, piece of fish.
Broiled Herb Crusted Tilapia
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
5 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 pieces tilapia fillet (about 1.5 pounds total)
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for coating the fish)
3 teaspoon bread crumbs
1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter (for drizzling)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Preheat broiler. Keep the pan you are using to broil the fish with in the oven. If you are using aluminum foil, make your foil "boat" (fold up the sides of the aluminum foil to prevent the oil from leaking out) and place it in the oven, with the pan, while the broiler is preheating.
Chop all the fresh herbs and toss them together in a bowl.
Pour extra virgin olive oil in a bowl, dip a brush into the oil and coat both sides of the tilapia with olive oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Divide the herb mix among the 3 fillets and sprinkle the mix onto each fillet. Sprinkle each fillet with 1 teaspoon on bread crumbs and gently push the herb mix and bread crumbs onto the fish. Drizzle each fillet with a little ghee (or butter).
Remove the hot broiling pan from the oven. Place fish on the pan. Broil the fish for 3-6 minutes (amount of time depends on how crispy and how well done you like your fish). Serve with a lemon wedge.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
5 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 pieces tilapia fillet (about 1.5 pounds total)
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for coating the fish)
3 teaspoon bread crumbs
1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter (for drizzling)
lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Preheat broiler. Keep the pan you are using to broil the fish with in the oven. If you are using aluminum foil, make your foil "boat" (fold up the sides of the aluminum foil to prevent the oil from leaking out) and place it in the oven, with the pan, while the broiler is preheating.
Chop all the fresh herbs and toss them together in a bowl.
Pour extra virgin olive oil in a bowl, dip a brush into the oil and coat both sides of the tilapia with olive oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Divide the herb mix among the 3 fillets and sprinkle the mix onto each fillet. Sprinkle each fillet with 1 teaspoon on bread crumbs and gently push the herb mix and bread crumbs onto the fish. Drizzle each fillet with a little ghee (or butter).
Remove the hot broiling pan from the oven. Place fish on the pan. Broil the fish for 3-6 minutes (amount of time depends on how crispy and how well done you like your fish). Serve with a lemon wedge.
