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

Scale

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.
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
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.
Brown the butter: Reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter. Cook, stirring often, until it just turns brown, about 3 minutes.
Serve: Pour the brown butter over the tilapia, and serve.

Tilapia fillets come thin (1/4 to 1/2 inch) or thick (about 3/4 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.