Have you ever been to a place where you felt like you finally fit? Eight years ago I moved to the coast, and I found that place for me right where the ocean meets the sand. With the roar of the ocean cheered by the call of seagulls I felt completely comfortable in my own sandy skin. With an ache, I miss living near the ocean. Though, with every beautiful visit I am reminded of that feeling. That feeling of home.
After a visit to the beach we inevitably want to cook fish, and the heat of summer makes fish a really lovely supper. Now I must confess that there are endless ways to screw up fish, trust me. One way to help lead you towards success in your fish preparation is to buy fresh fish. Previously frozen fish has the tendency to turn up rubbery and dry when cooked. I am not so much a fan of that.
An inexpensive, mild, thin, and relatively forgiving fish to start with is fresh Tilapia. The downside is that most of the Tilapia around here is shipped from Ecuador. If you have a local fresh fish that is mild and thin try that instead. I have tried this sort of preparation with flounder and cod as well as Tilapia and had great success with all three.
This fish is perfect served with black-eyed pea cakes and a tomato salsa. Oh summer, you are so grand.
Baked Tilapia with Lemon and Garlic serves 2
2 tilapia fillets (or other thin mild fish)
half of one lemon (save other half for serving)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste1. Heat oven to 375. Place fish in baking dish. Place one pat of butter, about 1/4 tablespoon, on the center of each fillet. Salt and pepper the fish
2. Squeeze lemon juice over fish (lime juice is a good substitute if you would rather). Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over each fillet
3. Place in middle of oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until white and flaky. Slice remaining half of the lemon into wedges and serve with fish. enjoy
