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Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Coconut and Apricot Rice
Featuring juicy tilapia coated in mayonnaise, mustard and pecans, as well as a bed of sautéed garlic spinach and some coconut-flavored apricot rice, this really is an exciting dish. Although you can swap the tilapia for cod, halibut or even basa fish, there is something special about the flavor of tilapia which makes it perfect for this dish.
If you cannot find chopped pecans just buy whole ones and chop them yourself in the food processor, or put them in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin or heavy pan to break them up.
Feel free to swap the spinach for snow peas, broccoli, or another green vegetable. Depending on the vegetable, you might do better serving it on the side, rather than between the fish and the coconut rice layer.
Tasty Tilapia in a Pecan Crust with Coconut Rice
Ingredients -
4 tilapia filets
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Olive oil, salt and black pepper, as needed
Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley or thyme, for garnish (optional)
For the Sautéed Spinach:
2 bags fresh spinach
2 minced garlic cloves
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for sautéing
For the Coconut Rice:
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 diced dried apricots
½ cup water
Salt, to taste
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the rice, coconut milk, water, and apricots in a rice cooker and cook until done.
Alternatively you can cook it the traditional way in a pan.
Add salt to taste and keep the rice warm.
Cover a baking sheet with olive oil-brushed parchment paper.
Season the fish with salt and black pepper.
Combine the mustard and mayonnaise and dredge each fish filet in the mustard mayonnaise mixture.
Dip the fish into the pecans and then place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes or until done.
Rinse the spinach and discard the stems.
Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan over a high heat.
Add some of the garlic and spinach and sauté until wilted but still green.
Season with salt and pepper.
Repeat until all the spinach is wilted.
Divide the coconut rice between 4 warm serving plates.
Top with the spinach and finally the tilapia.
If you like, you can stick some fresh thyme sprigs into the fish and sprinkle chopped fresh herbs on the plate.
(Serves 4)
Wine Suggestion:
Which Wine for Pecan Crusted Tilapia
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are both great wines to match with this pecan-crusted tilapia recipe. Chardonnay is really versatile and suits most light meat and fish dishes, and Sauvignon Blanc has a crisper, drier edge, which cuts through the oil content in the dish. If you prefer a very dry wine, go for the Sauvignon Blanc, else the Chardonnay is a nice match too.
Photo Description:
Stacking the three components of the dish together and garnishing with fresh herbs gives this meal a gourmet look. This is more than adequate to serve at a dinner party and the pecan crusted tilapia is amazing with the fresh spinach and the exotic coconut and apricot rice. This dish is simple to make and you can cook the tilapia while you cook the spinach. Start the rice ahead and keep it warm until you are ready to serve the meal. If you are looking for an easy yet impressive fish recipe, you can see from the photo how this tilapia dish fits the bill perfectly.
A Closer Look at Tilapia
Tilapia is the name for almost a hundred species of cichlid fish. These fish live in freshwater habitats including rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds. Tilapia do well in temperate climates but not in cold water under 60 degrees F. St Peter's Fish is another name for tilapia, and this fish is also known as pla-pla in the Philippines.
Tilapia has very low levels of mercury since they are fast growing and eat mainly plant life. This means they do not accumulate the mercury found in prey that other fish eat. If you try to limit your fish intake because of mercury, then tilapia is a safe option. Farm-raised tilapia is cheaper than wild-caught ones, but it is higher in fat.
How to Make Tilapia en Papillote
As well as pecan-crusted tilapia, what else could you make with this juicy fish? Tilapia en papillote is really easy. To make this, you need to lay the fish on top of a bed of vegetables. You could use zucchini, onions, fennel, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, and anything else you want. Chop the veggies quite small and arrange them on a sheet of parchment paper or foil. The lay the fish on top and season with salt and black pepper.
Add fresh herbs, a tablespoon of wine, lemon juice or vinegar and some olive oil, then scrunch the top of the paper or foil to seal. Bake the tilapia en papillote at 350 degrees F for fifteen or twenty minutes, or until it is flaky and the vegetables are tender. If you want to use hard vegetables like potato or carrot, you will need to par-boil them before adding them to the foil package, else they will not cook in time.
More Ideas for Tilapia
Another tilapia idea is fish tacos and you can make these by combining broiled strips of tilapia with diced tomato, red onion, shredded cabbage, and soft tortillas for wrapping them up in. Serve some guacamole, yogurt chipotle sauce, or salsa on the side.
Tilapia also works well in soup recipes. If you have made a vegetable soup and you want to add some protein to it, chop your tilapia filet into bite-size pieces and add them. Within a couple of minutes they will turn opaque and white, and that means the fish is cooked. You can also add chopped tilapia filets to a stir-fry. Add the fish when the vegetables only have another minute of cooking time because tilapia cooks really fast. Many people think that pecan-crusted tilapia is the very best tilapia recipe though.
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