Tilapia with mango salsa

   

                                                Prep time: 30 minutes

                                                Cook time: 15 minutes

                                                Serves: 2

          

Tilapia is a beautiful little fresh water fish, farmed sustainably, firm enough to barbeque or to fry hot; it won’t fall apart easily. My personal favorite is lightly floured and fried in olive oil, with either a Latino mango sauce or a Mediterranean tomato sauce. Both are in this collection. We start with the mango salsa recipe.

MUSIC: This calls for something with some rhythm. Classical won’t do. Latin music, while cliché, is perfect here. The Brazilian bossa nova  works of Carlos Antonio Jobim, with vocals by Astrud Gilberto or Elis Regina (Girl From Ipanema, etc.) are always appropriate. Or, tangos by the great Astor Piazzolla (Kronos Quartet: FIVE TANGO SENSATIONS), or, if you can find the original album, Gato Barbieri’s LAST TANGO IN PARIS soundtrack.

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED:

1. Tilapia whole filets, 2 or 3 (approx 1 pound in total), brought to room temperature
2. Olive oil, extra virgin, 3 Tablespoons
3. Flour, about ½ Cup for dusting the fish
4. Kosher salt to sprinkle after cooking

For the salsa:

1. 1 Mango, diced into small chunks (may use 2 mangos, especially if small)
2. ½ large sweet red pepper or 1 smaller pepper, also diced into small chunks
3. Cilantro, one bunch, chopped finely



** Scotch bonnet peppers

4. Hot peppers (jalapeño or Scotch bonnet**), chopped finely, 1 tablespoon or less, depending on how hot they are. ( or a few splashes of hot pepper sauce if you don’t have fresh peppers)
5. Juice of ½ lemon (without seeds!)
6. Juice of ½ lime
7. Kosher salt, 1 large pinch (about ¼ teaspoon)   

HERE’S WHAT TO DO:

Prepare salsa first.

• Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes for flavors to meld. This salsa is fine at room temperature, but when chilled, it produces a wonderful temperature contrast of cool and fresh in your mouth with the warm fish. While it chills, have a glass of champagne, dance, whatever. Do not pay bills or work on your taxes.

           

To cook the fish:

·        In a 10 or 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil to medium heat.

·        Lightly flour the fish and fry in olive oil until golden brown on both sides.

·        When almost done, squirt some of the remaining lemon juice on top, and sprinkle with Kosher salt. You almost cannot overcook Tilapia- it retains its flaky texture quite well.

CADENZA: Serve right out of the pan onto plates, with sticky (Sushi) rice, and salsa on top. Excellent with cooked carrots, black beans, bok choy, broccoli or green beans.

VARIATIONS ON THE THEME: Try barbecuing instead of pan-frying. Lightly brush the fish filets with olive oil before placing on the hot grill. Turn once or twice as needed.

WINE: Un-oaked chardonnay or sauvignon blanc go very well.

About sweet peppers. If you cannot find dark red sweet peppers, use yellow or orange. Light colored red peppers often have a chemical taste that upsets the entire balance of the salsa, if not life itself.

About hot peppers. The heat has been bred out of jalapenos, so I prefer Scotch bonnet peppers, originally a Jamaican pepper, full of great taste and plenty of fire.

About chopping cilantro. Wash the whole bunch and shake dry. Holding the cilantro by the stems, sweep away the leaves with one swipe of either a French or Asian knife, and chop accordingly in the French style with one hand on top of the blade, or rapid fire Asian style like playing a drum (or with two knives like playing tympani). Takes about thirty seconds.