Since I've gotten older, I've tried to increase my fish-intake. But fried battered catfish, my old standby, isn't really that good for you, so I keep tilapia in the freezer now. I get it in a bag from Sam's, in frozen single portions, and they come conveniently butterflied.
- butter or olive oil
- 2 tilapia filets, split
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- ½ cup to 1 cup white wine (red wine is not recommended for cooking fish)
- several tablespoons dried basil
- salt & papper to taste
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Salt and pepper tilapia on both sides. Sprinkle basil semi-thickly on top side.
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Melt butter in skillet at medium heat and saute the garlic. Cook tilapia in butter at medium heat about 4-5 minutes. Turn over (carefully) and sprinkle basil on the other side.
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When tilapia seems nearly cooked, spread diced tomato over all. (Push the tomato down into the juice around the fish so it will soften and cook.) Simmer about another 5 minutes.
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Turn heat to low and pour wine over all. (The fish is now being poached, just in case someone asks.) Continue simmering another 5-10 minutes (depending on how well-done you like your fish), spooning wine over fish frequently.
Yields 2 servings. Serve this with buttered corn. Corn and tomatoes just go together.
And here's a secret: This is a nice dish for a single guy to cook for a girl he wants to impress, because it's actually simple to make but looks rather fancy and colorful. Both my sons (now married) have told me it was the best "date" recipe they took from home when they ventured out into the world.
And another secret: You can make almost exactly this same dish with boneless chicken breasts instead of fish. The cooking times will be longer, and you should use Marsala or other red wine with chicken, but otherwise it's all the same.
bon appetit
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