Roasted Fish, Anyone?
Ah, tilapia.
When my husband Ralph and I first made this popular farm-raised fish at home, we felt as if we had discovered something that is not only yummy, but versatile. He has prepared it in a number of ways including pan-fried and baked, but most recently he used it in a roasted fish recipe he came across online from award-winning cookbook author, syndicated columnist and cooking teacher Marie Simmons.
This recipe comes from an article called “Fish: Hot & Fast” and it supposed to be made with salmon, halibut, swordfish, cod or other firm fish steaks or skinless filets. We substituted tilapia. Ralph adapted Simmons’ recipe by adding a dozen whole grape tomatoes.
Simmons calls it “Easy Everyday Fish Roasted with Caramelized Onions and Roasted Potatoes.”
We call it delicious.
I don’t pretend to be an expert, but it’s fair to say most experts agree cooking with olive oil, a natural source of monounsaturated fat, is a healthier alternative to using butter.
This recipe worked for our family of four because: a) it was easy; b) we had all of the ingredients in the house except for the fish when we decided to make it (a first!); c) our teen-agers both promised to eat it before we prepared it; d) they liked it and want to have it again, and e) did I mention it was easy?
Tilapia with caramelized onions, grape tomatoes and roasted potatoes
serves 4
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/4-inch vertical slices
1 strip orange zest cut into thin slivers
1/2 tsp. Dried thyme or oregano
1 lb. small potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
dozen whole grape tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 1-1/4 lbs. fish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine olive oil, onion, potatoes, orange zest, thyme or oregano in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Roast until edges of onion begin to brown, about 30 minutes. Stir and turn potatoes half-way through roasting. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
Push onion mixture to sides of baking dish. Add fish in a single layer and top with grape tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top fish with some of the onions.
Bake until the fish turns from translucent to opaque at the thickest part (test with tip of a knife) 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
