On 3/31/2011 4:57 PM, Victor Sack wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> My wife wants me to cook tilapia. I've never had it. First off, is it a
>> "fishy" tasting fish or nice and clean tasting like flounder, cod,
>> halibut, etc?
>
> Tilapia is very bland. It is a fish for people who do not really like
> fish but feel compelled to eat it for some reason. It is imperative to
> accompany tilapia with Italian Pinot Grigio, 90% of which is produced
> for people who do not really like wine but feel compelled to drink it
> for some reason.
>
> That said, tilapia is not entirely worthless. You can make rissoles
> with it. Mince it finely with a sharp knife (you can use meat
> mincer/grinder, but it is liable to squeeze a lot more "juice" out of
> the fish) together with an onion. (Or you can mince the onion and fry
> it in oil or butter and then mix it with the fish mince.) Mix the
> fish-onion mixture with an egg. Salt and pepper. You can also add
> minced herbs of your choice, such as parsley, celery, dill, etc. Wet
> your hands in warm water and form golf ball-sized, or a bit larger
> rissoles. Optionally, roll them in (rice) flour. Pan-fry them in oil
> of (clarified) butter until golden. At this point you can serve the
> rissoles, or, optionally, add sour cream and bake them in the hot oven
> for 10-15 minutes. Serve with sour- or half-sour pickles and
> horseradish sauce.
>
> Victor

Speaking of mincing tilapia, I use it for gefilte fish. I can't get the
"traditional" pike, whitefish, carp and mullet that my mother used up
north. I have found that using the same techniques and ingredients
other than different fish, works really well. After all, it's just a
fish dumpling that gets its flavor from being poached in a tasty liquid.

When I went deep sea fishing on the Gulf a couple of weeks ago and the
deck hand was filleting the fish we caught, I made him give me 4
"throats" of red snapper which I will pick clean for the minced fish
mixture and use the bones for the broth.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.