This fish is a crispy catch
A few flavourful choices provide some kick to what can sometimes be a bland protein
Given how quickly it cooks, fish stands out as the perfect candidate for a weeknight meal, especially in the fall, when the resurgence of school and work can seem like the onset of hurricane season.
The only problem? Fish can be bland, the light white variety in particular. Happily, white fish fillets are like chicken breasts. They play nicely with all sorts of ingredients. And that means there are plenty of ways to amp up the flavour.
The simplest fix is to reach for acid. At the very least, a cooked fish fillet will always benefit from a spritz of lemon or lime. If you briefly marinate that fillet in lemon or lime juice before cooking it, it becomes much more flavourful without tasting acidic.
And if you add a little salt to the marinade, the fish will be quickly and deeply seasoned, as well.
However, since acid also changes the texture of the protein in fish, essentially firming it up, you don’t want to leave it in the acid for too long before cooking. About 30 min- utes is perfect.
I added crunch to this soft fish dish by topping it off with crushed tortilla chips flavoured with chili powder, then baking it so the chips stay crispy.
The final crunch and acid kick come from pickled red onions. Talk about versatile. These bad boys could grace any number of dishes. Put them on sandwiches or burgers, sprinkle them into soups, or add them to eggs.
And they’ll keep in the fridge for several weeks and you’ll be happy to have them on hand when some new inspiration strikes.
Finally, as a way to temper the spicy heat provided by the pickled jalapenos in the onions, I finished the dish with crema, a kind of thinned-down sour cream popular in Central America.
I think you’ll agree that this cast of stellar supporting players makes quite a star out of an otherwise unassuming leading man. And it only takes 30 minutes of hands-on time.
If you can’t find crema at the store, sour cream or creme fraiche diluted with a bit of milk, cream or water will do.
Start to finish: 60 minutes (30 minutes active)
Servings: 4
For the fish: Two 1/2-lb. (226-g) tilapia fillets 1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) lime or lemon juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, preferably grapeseed
2 cups (500 mL) tortilla chips 2 tsp (10 mL) chili powder
For the pickled onions:
1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick 3/4 cup (180 mL) distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup (60 mL) orange juice 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5 mL) sugar
3/4 tsp (4 mL) kosher salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cumin seeds 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) dried oregano 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped pickled jalapenos
To finish:
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Crema or sour cream, to serve
1. To prepare the fish, cut each fillet down the centre seam to separate the thin half of the fillet from the thick half. Cut each of the pieces in half crosswise (for a total of 8 pieces). Sprinkle the fish pieces with the salt, then transfer to a zip-close plastic bag. Add the lime or lemon juice and oil. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning the bag several times.
2. While the fish is marinating, in a large, wide bowl finely crush the tortilla chips (with a few larger pieces, it should not be a powder) and toss with the chili powder. Set aside.
3. To make the pickled onions, in a small saucepan over mediumhigh, combine the red onion, vinegar, orange juice, sugar, salt, cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Drain the mixture and chop the onions. In a small bowl, combine the onions with the jalapenos.
4. Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
5. Remove the fish pieces from the marinade and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Keep the thin pieces on one side and the thick pieces on the other.
6. Pack the tortilla crumbs on top of the fillets, then drizzle the crumbs with the melted butter. Bake the fish on the oven’s middle rack until it is just cooked through, about 5 minutes for the thinner pieces and 8 minutes for the thicker pieces.
7. Transfer a thick and a thin fillet piece to each of 4 serving plates. Serve each portion topped with some of the pickled onions and the crema.