EARTH DAY 2020 PAN-FRIED TILAPIA

It doesn’t matter if you think the fish is boring or flavourless. Tilapia is the third most consumed fish in the world. And with self-isolation causing you to pull out (…to the dismay of your soon-to-be wealthy barber…) all that hair on your head, I think it’s time you joined the party.

What I most love about Tilapia is that, unlike most fish, it lacks a selfish gene. It rarely competes for food or territory. Instead, they’ll go after the very plants and nutrients shunned by other species and substantially reduce oxygen-depleting detritus in the water. Their presence increases the population, size, and health of other species. (We Homo Sapiens can learn a lot from them. And it’s my hope that you will meditate on this while you chow down on my recipe below.)

EARTH DAY RECIPE 2: PAN-FRIED TILAPIA WITH MANGO SALSA

(Your kids will love you for not making another batch of Korean seaweed soup.)

4-6 Tilapia fillets (usually packaged with 2-3 fish, attached at the tail end. Just cut into individual fillets)

Dredge Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ts paprika
1 ts oregano
1 ts garlic powder
Pinch of salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups bread crumbs

Mango Salsa
2 mangoes, diced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 ts salt
1/4 cup cilantro (or parsley), chopped finely
2 Scotch bonnets (or jalapeños), seeded and diced
(Mix all ingredients in a bowl.)

Vegetable oil for frying

Method

1. Rinse frozen Tilapia fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Shallow dish #1 (Mix flour, salt and pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic powder): Coat fillets, both sides.
3. Shallow dish #2 (Eggs): Dip fillets, both sides. Drip excess egg.
4. Shallow dish #3 (Bread crumbs): Lay fillets, both sides.
5. Heat enough vegetable oil in a skillet, med-high heat, and fry fillets, about 4 minutes per side.
6. Plate or cut in half and wrap with tortillas (hola fish tacos!)
7. Spoon mango salsa over fish and serve.

thewealthybarber #selfishgene #covid19 #earthday2020 #quarantinerecipes #tilapia #mangosalsa #fishtacos