We’re not that far from the supermarket, really, but I prefer not to get in the car and make a special trip to get groceries. That’s why, if we’re out, we stop at the nearest market. I always see what’s fresh and on sale in the seafood case, I can’t help it. Sometimes I buy something, other times I just make a mental note to check out what I’ve seen for sustainability ratings. I’m not quite a walking dictionary of sustainable seafood, but I do have a thing or two memorized. That’s how the Tilapia fillets ended up in the basket.
We recently restarted our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). I went back to Pioneer Organics after hearing that they’ve shifted some of their focus towards acquiring local produce. That doesn’t explain the mangoes in the box, but the presence of mangoes explains why I thought some kind of tropical inspired fish plate was the way to go.
First, as always, I sauteed a big red onion in lots of sesame oil. I added some ginger – not enough, I wanted more ginger flavor – and a little chili oil. When the onions were starting to brown, I tossed the meat of two very ripe mangoes in the pan and lay the fish on top. I turned the fillets over once to make sure they were coated in sauce and cooked through. I served the fish on bean thread noodles sprinkled with cilantro and soy sauce.
The fish was really good, really really good, though I’d have liked a bit more kick. Mango, red onion, and ginger make a great sauce. I could have stopped there, put the lot in the blender, and had a first rate BBQ marinade. The bean thread noodles were weird, as always, it would have been better with rice noodles, but I didn’t have any. I haven’t mastered the mystery of the bean thread, or maybe I don’t like them that much.
Tilapia is a fine fish to eat – if it’s US farmed. (US and Canada farmed fishes are often okay, it’s the SE Asia farming that’s not so great.) And I like this fish – it’s got a firmer texture than sole, which can be a little mush, and it’s not so rubbery as cod can be. I think it’s firm enough to hold up on the grill. I’m tempted to try the sauce again, let the fish sit in in for the afternoon, and grill it up to serve with a cilantro based salad once summer hits. Yum.
[tags]Tilapia, Fish Wednesday[/tags]
Pam, I do think it sounds great. Don’t know if I’ve had bean thread noodles before? Mangoes seem very big on food blogs right now, everyone is using them.