Tilapia with Brown Butter and Lemon Sauce

Tilapia is an example of a good farmed fish. They are omnivorous, and thrive on a vegetarian diet; don't mind being packed tight in growing pens; do well in any water conditions, as long as it is warm; and grow quickly to market size. And, in the United States, tilapia is farmed in closed inland systems to protect against escapees and pollution. Because of these traits, tilapia is now the third most common farmed fish, behind carp and salmon.
Tilapia's big advantage is being omnivorous, which helps their feed conversion ratio. They take in less protein than they produce; tilapia farming is a net gain in protein. The counter-example is salmon. Salmon are carnivorous, and farmed salmon requires at least three times as much protein as it produces.

Tilapia is a mild tasting, white fleshed, flaky fish, perfect for a weeknight fish dinner. I like them steamed and poached, but my favorite way to cook tilapia is sauteing. I coat this mild fish in a cornmeal crust to give it some crunch, and make sure to serve it with a flavorful sauce. In this recipe, I went with a simple browned butter sauce and a squeeze of lemon. The result is a fish dinner that even my kids will eat, that comes together in no time at all.

I try to find farmed tilapia from the US, as recommended by Seafood Watch. If you want to try really fresh tilapia, seek out your local Asian market with a fish counter. I can almost guarantee they will have a tank of live tilapia, and will kill it for you on the spot.  Don't worry if the water in the tank looks dirty or cloudy, or if the fish are packed in there - tilapia thrive under those conditions.
*As Tony Bourdain said, the Asian definition of fresh fish is much different from ours.  Theirs is: was the fish alive when it entered the kitchen?

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Tilapia with Brown Butter and Lemon Sauce

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Cornmeal-crusted tilapia fillets, pan-fried until golden, then finished with lemon juice and a quick brown butter sauce.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x

• 2 pounds tilapia fillets (6 to 8 fillets)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Juice of 1 lemon

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Instructions

1. Season and coat the fish: Sprinkle the tilapia evenly with salt and pepper. Put the cornmeal in a shallow dish. Just before cooking, coat the fillets with a thin layer of cornmeal, shaking off the excess.
2. Cook the first batch of fish: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12 inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half the fillets, shake the pan to get oil under them, and cook until well browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip, and cook 2 to 4 minutes more, until the fish flakes when pressed. Move the first batch of fish to a platter
3. Cook the second batch of fish: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, heat for a minute, and cook the rest of the fillets the same way - browned on the bottom (about 4 minutes), flip and cook until flaky (2 to 4 minutes). Move them to the platter, and drizzle the fish with the lemon juice.
4. Brown the butter: Reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter. Cook, stirring often, until it just turns brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Serve: Pour the brown butter over the tilapia, and serve.

Equipment

12-inch nonstick frypan

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Notes

Tilapia fillets come thin (¼ to ½ inch) or thick (about ¾ inch). Thin fillets take about 6 minutes total; thick ones about 8.

Toasted almonds: Add sliced almonds to the pan with the butter.

Garlic butter: Add a crushed garlic clove once the butter melts and is still foaming, and cook until the butter browns.

Pan sauce: Citrus sauces are great with fish - try the orange-mustard pan sauce or tequila-orange pan sauce.

Short on time? Try my Air Fryer Tilapia.

Inspired by Paul Greenberg's Four Fish.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

Related Posts:
Sustainable Seafood
Review: Four Fish by Paul Greenberg
Air Fryer Tilapia
Grilled Barramundi

Thanks to BayLobsters Fish Market for the wonderful tilapia I used in this recipe.

Inspired by:
Paul Greenberg Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food

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