Step 1: Process the fish.
Depending on what kind of fish you managed to buy, we perform the necessary actions with it (freshly frozen - pre-defrost). If we are ready fillet- it must be cut into 2 parts. If the fish is whole, we make a fillet out of it, carefully cutting off the fins, tail, removing the backbone and small bones.Step 2: Add spices to the fish.
In a special bowl, roll the fish in a mixture of spices: rosemary, oregano, basil, nutmeg, black pepper. Before rolling in greenery - salt!
Step 3: Heat water in a steamer.
We spread the fish with spices in a double boiler that is already releasing steam. Therefore, we pour water on its bottom and wait for it to boil. Step 4: Put a lemon on top of the tilapia.
Lemons cut into thin slices (circles or halves of circles) are spread on the fish treated with spices. Step 5: Cook the fish.
Steam the tilapia for 10 minutes over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn off the fire, let the fish brew for another 2 minutes and pull out her.
Step 6: Steam Tilapia.
Steam Tilapia is best served hot. It will look great with almost any side dish, for example: mint, stewed or fried potatoes, rice, beans. Effective decoration in the form of fresh sprigs of greenery, which give rise not only to pleasant visual and gustatory impressions, but also very Nice smell. Bon appetit! Tilapia meat is high in protein and low in fat. It can be fried, baked, steamed;
One of the most attractive features of this fish is the minimum time spent on its preparation. It cooks very quickly and therefore is the best option treats for unexpected guests or breakfast, dinner after work;
Even the simplest sauce (100 grams of mayonnaise and 50 grams of high-quality, fatty sour cream, with a few teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice) will make the fish “melt” in your mouth.
Homemade fish dishes are a tasty and healthy delicacy that can be served for a regular family dinner or made to decorate a festive table. Few people know how much time and how to fry tilapia, since this representative is only found on our store shelves. Experienced housewives know that such a fish has a small amount of bones and is distinguished by its dietary properties. Cooking tilapia is easy and fast if you know the rules of baking and simple recipes. The product is characterized by juiciness, delicate structure, as well as a pleasant aroma.
Choice
The choice of any fish also has its own nuances, the observance of which guarantees you the purchase of a quality product. Tilapia is sold frozen, so the features of its acquisition are related to the correct implementation of the freezing process, its quantities and appearance characteristics.
Advice! A quality specimen should not have an ice crust, as this indicates repeated defrosting of the fish, which is initially subjected to dry freezing.
If you have a whole carcass, then before frying, you need to scrape it off the scales, remove all fins, cut off the head and tail. Then the abdomen is opened and the insides are carefully cleaned, then the skin and the ridge with large bones are removed. The resulting two meat halves are washed and dried on paper napkins. Ready-made fillets should be thawed at room temperature or by packing in plastic bag put under cool water.
Tilapia meat can be cut into small pieces or fried in large layers. No matter how many parts the fillet is divided, the fish will not change its palatability. Pre-marinating in soy sauce, as well as in spices, special seasonings and lemon juice, makes it possible to spice up the dish.
Golden crust
The fillet perfectly retains its juiciness in a shell of flour or other type of breading. And delicious layer helps the meat not fall apart during cooking and forms a golden crust on the surface. No matter how much housewives try to do without breading ingredients, it should be noted that only with their use can a crispy ruddy shell be achieved.
Required:
- 4 sirloins from two medium specimens;
- 4 tsp soy sauce;
- 2 tsp seasonings for fish;
- 50 gr. wheat product;
- 50 ml vegetable oil.
Cut the thawed meat into portioned plastics, place in a container and pour soy sauce, leaving it to soak for half an hour. In a separate plate, mix the flour and seasoning, and on a strong flame, heat the pan with oil well. Roll each pickled slice in breadcrumbs several times, then put in hot dishes, reducing the oven intensity to medium. How long do you need to fry the pieces of tilapia in a pan until a crispy layer forms? Three minutes on each side will be enough until this snack is fully cooked. At the same time, the lid does not need to be closed, otherwise the fish may turn out to be stewed.
An oven is also suitable for preparing a dish with a crust, but few people know how long it will take to bake. After heating the device to 200 degrees, you can place inside a baking sheet with a fish laid out on foil or parchment. Twenty minutes of frying will be enough.
in pieces
This recipe will help make an ordinary fish a real delicacy of a homemade product.
To fry two layers of fillet, take:
- 50 gr. almonds;
- 2 tbsp. l. coarsely crumbled crackers;
- 1 st. l. mustard mass;
- 1.5 st. l. sunflower oil;
- special fish seasoning.
Before frying, it is necessary to wash and dry the fillet, which is then divided into portioned pieces. Roast the almonds in a hot, dry frying pan for a few minutes and let them cool by placing them on a flat plate. Mix and grind seasoning, croutons and nuts with a blender. Smear the pieces with mustard, sprinkle each with the resulting breading and dip in oil in a frying pan, which must be well heated. It is necessary to fry for as long as it takes until a uniform blush is formed on both sides.
Breaded
Crispy crackers not only help the formation of a pleasant crust, but also contribute to the preservation of the tender structure of tilapia meat.
Ingredients:
- loin parts of two carcasses;
- 1 tsp table salt;
- 100 gr. crackers;
- ground black pepper;
- vegetable oil.
How many minutes does it take to fry whole layers of breaded fillets? The baking process on a moderate flame will be about a quarter of an hour, distributing time for each side. But before that, fish meat should be rubbed with salt and pepper, then dipped in crushed crackers, and then evenly distributed on the bottom of a hot frying pan with butter. Delicious tilapia plastics can be served with any side dish, and it is also recommended to decorate the dish with herbs and pour over with a spicy sauce.
Breaded
To quickly and tasty fry fish original way, you can use a batter that makes it more nutritious.
You need to take:
- meat part of two carcasses;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 1 lemon;
- 3 art. l. wheat ingredient;
- 3 art. l. breadcrumbs;
- 100 gr. vegetable fat;
- salt, ground black pepper and fragrant.
First, we rub the prepared meat layers with spices and sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon, leaving the fish to marinate for fifteen minutes. How much pepper and salt you need to determine to your liking. In one bowl, mix the flour and crackers, and in the other, beat the eggs with a whisk. Roll a piece in a dry mixture, and then dip in eggs, after which we place it in a frying pan in boiling oil. Reduce the heat and fry for about four minutes on both sides. Garnish the battered tilapia with lemon and tomato wedges before serving. How the garnish fits vegetable salad, boiled rice or baked potatoes.
In batter with cheese
An appetizer of fish in dough with cheese will diversify any table and even gourmets will like it.
Main Ingredients:
- 2 kg of tilapia;
- 1 st. flour;
- 2 eggs;
- 200 gr. hard cheese;
- 200 ml of kefir;
- sunflower oil;
- salt.
Beat kefir and eggs until smooth. Add flour, salt and mix well. Pass the cheese through a fine grater and add to the mixture. Having received the dough in the form of thick sour cream, dip all the pieces of fish into it and put them in hot oil. The dish should be fried until a golden surface crust appears from each barrel. How many minutes it will take should be determined by adjusting the intensity of the temperature regime.
In batter on beer
At the beginning of the process, you need to separate the egg whites from the yolks and put them in the refrigerator.
To properly create a batter based on a hop drink, it is recommended to use only chilled products.
Mix flour with spices and seasonings, then add light beer, yolks, butter or vegetable oil, and whipped proteins. The resulting mass should be brought to a homogeneous state. Sprinkle pieces of fish with flour, "bath" in the dough and dip in hot oil. Fry the product in a pan without a lid. How correctly the dough is made, how tasty the final dish will turn out.
Tilapia is a non-bony, tender and easy-to-cook fish. Any buffet or family dinner will become more diverse and beautiful with such a nutritious dish.
If you want to impress your family and friends with your culinary skills, then be sure to cook them tilapia. No one can resist a juicy fillet, fried to a crispy crust, as well as its amazing aroma. It is quite easy to make a dish from this fish, it is prepared in a matter of minutes using minimum quantity ingredients. The meat is very tender, has almost no bones and literally melts in your mouth.
The composition and calorie content of the product
Tilapia lives in fresh water and is often called the "river chicken". In Russian stores you can find both fresh fish and frozen fillets. The meat is rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and B vitamins. But the protein content is especially high: 26 grams per 100 grams of the product, which corresponds to almost half the daily requirement for an adult body.
The calorie content of fried tilapia is 128 kcal, which is a low indicator. For example, the energy value of cooked trout is 210 kcal, and herring is 183 kcal. In addition, you can cook fish without flour, then the calorie content in the dish will be even lower. Due to the small amount of fat and relatively low calorie content, this type of fish can be safely attributed to dietary products.
Cooking
Delicious frying tilapia is very simple, but necessary products is in the kitchen of every housewife.
So, you will need the following ingredients:
- tilapia (fillet or whole fish) - 3 large pieces;
- lemon or lime - 1 piece;
- flour - 60 grams;
- breadcrumbs - 60 grams;
- vegetable oil - half a glass;
- egg - 2 pieces;
- salt and spices - to taste;
- garlic - 3 cloves.
Also prepare the following supplies: whisk, spatula, cutting board, paper towels, two deep bowls, and a large non-stick skillet.
How to marinate a fillet?
To make the dish as appetizing as possible, it is necessary to properly prepare its main ingredient. If you purchased fresh fish, fillet it: remove the head and remove the bones from the meat. If desired, cut the tilapia into portions, although many people prefer to cook it in whole pieces. Be sure to delete excess moisture why blot the fish paper towel, otherwise the dish will turn out too watery.
Now let's give a special taste to our tilapia. Rub it well with salt, sprinkle with black pepper and pour plenty of lemon juice. For this, one part of citrus is enough, the second part is useful for decoration. ready meal. Garlic will add a special piquancy - crush three medium cloves directly on the fish and leave everything for 20 minutes to marinate.
Along with pepper (or instead of it), you can use other spices, which are now a large selection in stores. In general, seasonings containing coriander, basil, cumin, garlic, and fennel work well. Successfully combining them with each other, you can cook a delicious dish with an unusual aroma.
Fry fish until golden brown
While the fish is marinating, prepare the rest of the necessary products. Beat the eggs with a whisk in a deep cup until foam appears, and in another bowl mix the flour and crackers in equal proportions. Thanks to breading, the fish will retain its shape during frying and acquire a beautiful golden crust. Pour the oil into a heavy bottomed pan and heat it up over high heat.
Dip the tilapia first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. We do this with all the fish and let the pieces lie down in a bowl with flour and breadcrumbs for a couple of minutes. By this time, the oil in the pan will warm up, which means that you can begin the main process. Gently drop the tilapia into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, usually 4 minutes per side. The fish is cooked quickly - the total time is no more than 10 minutes. A beautiful crust and an appetizing smell are signs that the pan can be removed from the heat.
Without flour and eggs
There is another way to fry tilapia. We will cook without breading, but this makes the fish no less tasty. In this recipe, we will do without flour, crackers and eggs, but we will need two carrots and an onion head.
Fillet pre-salt and marinate in lemon juice with spices. While the fish is soaking, we clean the carrots and rub on a coarse grater, and cut the onion into half rings. Then we pass the vegetables in a separate pan. You can add to the onion-carrot mixture tomato paste, a clove of garlic or herbes de provence for flavor.
Heat the sunflower oil and put the pieces of tilapia into it. Fry the fish on one side for 5 minutes, turn over and add the browned vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. The total cooking time in this case will be 12-15 minutes, depending on individual features plates.
As you can see, cooking fish is easy, and if any ingredient is missing, it is not necessary to run to the store. Read important recommendations, perhaps you will find another solution in them:
- instead of wheat flour, you can use corn flour, and instead of breadcrumbs, a piece of bread chopped in a blender;
- the whisk is easily replaced with a fork, but in this case, the whipping process will be a little longer;
- if you do not want to fillet, just cut the fish into small pieces;
- you can cook without eggs - before frying, roll the fillet in breadcrumbs;
If you do not like a crisp, then do the following: after the fish is cooked, pour a teaspoon of water into the pan, turn off the heat, close the lid and let the dish stand for about 10 minutes
- lemon neutralizes a specific fishy smell, if you are not embarrassed by such an aroma, then it is not necessary to use citrus for pickling;
- fish can be fried not only in sunflower oil, but also in olive, corn and even butter;
- it is convenient to bread fillet pieces in a plastic bag: place flour, crackers and fish there, close the bag and shake.
A tilapia dish is difficult to mess up, so you can experiment. For example, before frying, roll the pieces in ground almonds or sprinkle the fish with cheese at the end of cooking.
Serve tilapia the right way
Most of all, fried tilapia is combined with the following side dishes:
- boiled potatoes;
- crumbly long-grain rice;
- salad of fresh or pickled vegetables;
- cooked vegetables, such as a mixture of broccoli and cauliflower.
Potatoes can be served in the form of mashed potatoes, but it should not be dry, it is better to add more milk. Rice is considered one of the most paired foods with fish, it can be cooked with carrots and red peppers. But what fish does not combine with is pasta and buckwheat. Such a neighborhood on the plate will not allow the taste of tilapia to fully open up.
Fillet can also be served as an independent dish. Put a delicious golden piece on a plate and decorate it with lemon slices and green sprigs. Don't forget the sauce! Classic tomato, as well as egg, garlic and mustard sauces are suitable for dishes from this fish.
How to cook tilapia in batter, see the following video.
Tilapia is usually sold frozen as fillets. With firm, white flesh and a mild flavor, this fish develops an excellent flavor when steamed with lots of vegetables, spices or sauces.
Fillets can be cooked directly from the frozen state or thawed in advance. Freshly frozen fish does not absorb the taste of the marinade, but retains its own flavor. You can also buy fresh fillets to freeze yourself for next time.
Defrosting frozen tilapia
To properly defrost tilapia, place it inside a bowl, cover with a lid or plate, and refrigerate overnight. If you don't have time for this method, place the fillet in a plastic bag and then submerge it in a bowl with cold water. Do not use warm water, as this will create a favorable environment for bacteria.
Use an undamaged plastic bag, otherwise the tilapia flesh will absorb water as it thaws, affecting its flavor. In addition, you can defrost fillets using a microwave using a special mode. You must buy fish that has been frozen fresh, otherwise additional temperature manipulation can cause it to spoil quickly.
Cooking thawed tilapia
You can cook fillets in a hot pan. The hotter the pan, the crispier the fish will be. Alternatively, you can bake tilapia in the oven. Because of its firm flesh, its fillets also make great grills.
Thawed fish can be marinated or seasoned with dry spices before cooking.
Place the fillets in an airtight plastic bag along with the wet and dry marinade. It is desirable that the slave marinate from 20 minutes to an hour. The marinade penetrates the flesh of the tilapia faster than dry rubs. When rubbing the fillet with dry spices, make sure that they are only slightly wet. Do not rub the meat, as it is quite thin and torn. Red fish from the store or freshly caught is prepared in the same way.
Cooking frozen tilapia
Tilapia can be cooked frozen, saving time on defrosting. It is pointless to marinate frozen fillets, but adding a flavorful sauce during or immediately after cooking can enhance the flavor. Fresh-frozen fish can also be boiled, steamed, baked or fried.
To prepare frozen fillets, rinse them under running water to remove the top ice, and then pat it dry. Then put a frying pan on the fire with a little olive oil and put the fish in there. The meat is cooked when it flakes easily with a fork.
Tilapia Lately the unimportant reputation of an exotic foreigner of unknown origin. However, ill-wishers did not consider it necessary to find out that this fish is a relative of the well-known perch, and it comes from the rivers of Africa. It is also called the "fish of St. Peter", since according to legend, the holy apostle, traveling, caught tilapia. And the legend calls the dark spots behind the gills the fingerprints of the holy apostle. But back to culinary issues. Tilapia has very tender and at the same time lean meat, so you can cook any dish from it - boil, fry, bake. And to cook tilapia fillet is a sacred thing.
Puzzling over what kind of snack to invent festive table? Try the battered tilapia.
- Tilapia in batter. Buy four pieces of this fillet, wash and pat dry with paper towels. Salt or use a special seasoning for fish. Set the prepared pieces aside to marinate a little. And you take care of the dough for batter. Beat three eggs, combine them with ½ cup of milk or cream, salt, add chopped herbs, mix everything. Add five tablespoons of flour, you will get a dough like pancakes.
Cut the fish into small portions, dip each in batter and fry in hot oil.
This dish is equally delicious both hot and cold.
- Tilapia fillet in potato breading. In this recipe, the base of the batter will not be flour, but potatoes. To prepare the dish, you will need fish fillet (600 g) and medium potatoes (five pieces). In addition, prepare an onion, two eggs, 3 tbsp. spoons of flour, seasonings and vegetable oil.
Wash the tilapia fillet, dry it, salt or sprinkle with seasonings and leave to marinate. At this time, finely chop and fry the onion, grate the potatoes on a fine grater, squeeze and put in a bowl. Add onions, two raw eggs, seasonings there. Everything needs to be mixed well. The breading is ready.
Heat the oil well in a frying pan, but after that, cook over medium heat. Next, dip a piece of fillet with breading on one side and put it in a pan so that the potatoes are at the bottom. And on the top, we will also impose a breading. We fry for about ten minutes, then with a spatula carefully turn over all the fillet pieces, reduce the heat even more and then fry the fish under the lid.
This is an original and hearty dish. It is convenient because it does not require a side dish, a vegetable salad is enough.
- Tilapia fillet in the oven. This dish can be prepared in different options. Try this simple recipe.
Take four small pieces of fillet, rub them with seasonings and salt, put them in a greased form. Place a couple of lemon slices on each fillet.
Heat the oven to a temperature of 175 degrees and place the form with the fish in it. After twenty minutes, the dish is ready. It will be especially tasty if sprinkled with herbs and served with mayonnaise or mayonnaise-sour cream mixture.
- Tilapia for a couple. Supporters will especially like this dish. healthy eating. It's not hard at all to prepare. Wash the fillet pieces, pour over lemon and soy sauce, sprinkle with seasonings. Let the fish marinate for twenty minutes. And then - in a double boiler, and after 10 minutes you can serve a healthy and fragrant dish on the table.
- Tilapia with sauce. The set of products is as follows: three pieces of fillet, 100 g of champignons, one onion, one clove of garlic, ½ teaspoon of dry oregano, one tomato, several olives.
We put the pan on medium heat and prepare the sauce: fry the onion cut into half rings for a couple of minutes, add chopped garlic, then chopped mushrooms, tomato, olives. Add oregano, pepper and salt. When the sauce boils, put the fish fillet in it, lightly pour the sauce on top. Reduce the heat and then cook the fish under the lid for 10 minutes.
- "Dragon Rose" This is the name of the original and very tasty dish made from tilapia and cod fillets. So that the result does not disappoint you, try to choose the right tilapia. A good dry-frozen fillet has a tender pink color. The box should have the inscription "King perch". And in the cod fillet there should be as few bones as possible.
First we prepare the marinade. Pine nuts or some other nuts will be crushed and rubbed. Let's add one article. a spoonful of olive or sunflower oil and ½ tbsp. spoons of wine, mix everything.
Thawed fish fillets should be washed under running water very cold water. Tilapia put on cutting board, salt and pepper, coat with marinade. Next is the most interesting: we must roll up the tilapia fillet in the form of a roll and secure with a skewer. We grease the top of this miniature roll with ketchup to preserve the pink color of the fillet. After that, fry all the rolls in a pan.
Next up is the cod fillet. Lightly sprinkle it with lemon juice and fry under the lid in the same pan. For juiciness, fish can be greased with mayonnaise. After about twenty minutes, the cod is ready.
Put a tilapia roll and a piece of cod on each plate. beautiful combination pink and white color add sprigs of greenery.
- Tilapia fillet with vegetables and cheese crust, cooked in a slow cooker. Ingredients: tilapia fillet (500-600 g), hard cheese (50 g), one beet, carrot, onion, a spoonful of vegetable oil, salt and seasonings.
Cut the tilapia fillet into portioned pieces, sprinkle with seasoning for fish, salt. We chop the onion with a knife into thin rings, rub the beets and carrots on a coarse grater, cheese on a fine grater.
Pour oil into the bowl of the multicooker, put the onion, part of the beets and carrots on the bottom. Topped with pieces of fish fillet. by the most top layer- all the remaining vegetables. We turn on the “Baking” mode, the time is 45 minutes.
An excellent side dish for this dish can be rice or potatoes.
- Tilapia soup.
Soups from this fish are excellent, with a juicy sweetish taste.
Prepare the necessary set of products: tilapia fillet - three pieces, shrimp - 300 g, rice - ½ cup, celery - 2 stalks, one onion, lemon - two slices, spices, salt.
Cut the tilapia fillet into small pieces, put in a saucepan and cover with water. We drop there Bay leaf OK, two peppercorns. Bring water to a boil and add rice. Ten minutes later - chopped celery. Next is the peeled shrimp. Don't forget to salt the soup.
Fry finely chopped onions and carrots in a pan with vegetable oil, you can add a little grated ginger root.
Check the readiness of the rice. If it is soft enough, remove peppercorns and bay leaves from the soup, add chopped greens, lemon slices.
So beautiful, fragrant and ready for dinner healthy dish. Invite family members.
It remains to be recalled that telapia fillet, which contains little fat and a lot of protein, is ideal for preparing various dietary dishes.
- Baked tilapia fillet. This is a low carb recipe, and if you're watching your weight, include this dish on your menu.
To prepare three servings, you will need half a kilogram of tilapia fillet, two tbsp. tablespoons of butter and mayonnaise, 60 g of grated cheese, lemon juice, pepper and salt.
First of all, make the sauce: mix all the ingredients except the fish. Lay a sheet of foil on a baking sheet and place portioned tilapia fillets on it. Bake in preheated oven for no more than four minutes. Then take out the baking sheet, pour the prepared sauce over the fish and bake for a couple more minutes. The sauce has acquired a brownish tint, began to bubble - the dish is ready. Appreciate its unusual taste.
