Tilapia Almondine
Tilapia Almondine
Tilapia is a mild and inexpensive, yet delicious fish, fried in clarified butter or ghee (see note), the buttery, crunchy, nutty flavor of the almonds makes this an easy and perfect dish to serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad. Here shown with baked cauliflower (see recipe) and steamed then pan-fried string beans (see recipe).
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz tilapia fillets
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup almonds - finely ground
- ⅓ cup butter or ghee (see note)
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 1 lemon - juiced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley - finely chopped
Instructions
- Season tilapia with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Pour milk in a large shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl combine flour and ground almonds, season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add enough clarified butter or ghee to cover the bottom.
- Dip each fillet into the milk, then the flour, so that each piece is well coated.
- Cook tilapia until each side is golden brown and the fillets are just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. NOTE: Take the fish of a bit early, since it continues to cook under the foil.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt remaining butter and sauté the almonds for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Plate the tilapia, top with almonds and butter, sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley and serve.
Notes
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
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To make ghee, gently melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. After melting, the butter will separate into three layers. This should only take a few minutes. Foam will appear on the top layer, the milk solids will migrate to the bottom of the pan and clarified butter will float between the two.
Heat and Simmer
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Let the butter come to a simmer and hold it here until the middle layer becomes fragrant, more golden than when you started, and clear – push the solids on top out of the way to have a peek. The milk solids at the bottom will begin to brown. At this point it is a matter of preference, you can let the solids lightly brown, or let things progress a bit further.
Skim and Strain
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When the ghee is finished, skim absolutely all of the top layer of foam into a bowl with a spoon or strainer, turn off the heat, and allow things to settle for a minute or so. Next, carefully pour the golden central layer through a strainer, into a clean glass jar, leaving the milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
Cool and Store
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If you were able to get all the solids out, and use clean and dry utensils in the jar, ghee will keep at room temperature for weeks. It can be used as a cooking oil, finishing element, and is also a traditional body moisturizer and massage medium :). Enjoy!
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