The Forgotten Fish

About author / Amy Powell

World traveler; gourmet 30 minute meals; lover of exotic ingredients; winner on FoodTV's Chefs vs City; graduate French Culinary Institute. Her recipes will tantalize your taste buds.

The man behind the fish counter jumped with glee when I told him I wanted 2 lbs. of tilapia. Did you know that tilapia was used in the original ceviche, that delicious dish where the fish is “cooked” in lime juice? No, I told him, I didn’t realize that tilapia was the first ceviche fish. Then he went on to regale me with his favorite way of cooking tilapia, steamed, over sautéed vegetables, with herbs. My fish guy was a real tilapia enthusiast, a rarity among fish lovers.

For us snobby food types, tilapia gets a bad rap. Maybe it is because the fish is so readily available we look down on the firm white fillets behind their glass enclosure; tilapia lacks the rarity of more sought after fishes like sea bass, halibut, and ahi tuna. Tilapia is the cheap fish-of-the-day special, the “fresh catch” that goes into many a fish and chips, the filler white fish in seafood chowders. Tilapia is everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

When did tilapia become the poor man’s cod and is its reputation really deserved? I think not. The world of fish has become so confusing. Ahi is over fished and causing mercury buildup in women! Salmon fisheries add coloring to their fish to make them look more pink! Chilean sea bass is over fished and (gasp!) that’s not even its real name!

Somewhere along the line of sorting out what fish is good to eat and what fish isn’t, we were told a good rule of thumb was to avoid farm raised fish and only buy wild. This is perhaps partly responsible for the movement away from farmed fish like tilapia and toward the line of caught tunas and swordfish of the world. While five year ago that rule of thumb may have applied, the industry is catching up with people’s demand for fish, combined with the desire for personal health and sustainability of the oceans. Some fish farms in the US are raising farmed fish in a sustainable manner that cuts down on pollution and keep the fish from invading other habitats.

According to the Seafood Watch guide put out by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, tilapia is a good candidate for farming because it consumes far less protein than it provides, especially in developing countries where affordable protein can be in short supply. The guide (available online at www.montereybayaquarium.org) recommends tilapia farmed in the United States, as the fish tend to be raised in inland environments that protect the fish from escaping and invading other habitats. Tilapia from Central and South America is recommended as a good alternative to other imported fishes even though the fisheries are less regulated. But it advised to avoid tilapia from China and Taiwan, where much of our tilapia comes from, because of poor regulation and oversight.

In his case, it is easy to see why my fish guy was excited about the Ecuadorian tilapia. As I told him when he asked how I was planning to prepare my fish that night, tilapia has a firm white flesh that adapts well to many cooking techniques and flavor combinations. I could bread the fish and pan fry, but the flesh is firm enough it will also hold up to just a little salt and pepper and a quick pan sauté. It will steam well over vegetables per the fish guy’s suggestion, or poach in a little white wine. For that night’s meal, I pan sautéed the fillets with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. While the fish was cooking I made a butter sauce with leeks, white wine, and some capers and lemon verbena at the end. Served over rice and peas with a green salad, the tilapia turned out to be an inexpensive and flavorful alternative to more expensive fish dinners.

Eating fish that tastes good, that is reasonably priced, and at the same time is good for the health of the oceans can sometimes be a challenge. But the fish guy was on to something. The oft overlooked tilapia might be one of the best ways to get a delicious fish dinner on the table and feel good about yourself at the same time.

Serves/Makes: 4

• 1 cup Basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup shelled peas
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium leek, white part
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 1/4 minced lemon verbena leaves
• 1 3/4 pound tilapia fillets
• salt and pepper
• olive oil