Day 26: Roast Fish with Preserved Lemon and Garlic (Varitation)

I haven't cooked much fish out of this cookbook yet, so I made an effort today to get some fish fillets.

Roast Fish with Preserved Lemon and Garlic

This is one of the variation recipes so the instructions are fairly vague. The recipe says to get any preferred fillet, steak, or whole fish so I decided to get Tilapia fillets. I chose U.S. farmed Tilapia because it is a nice simple, white fish that takes flavor well, is inexpensive, and is on the best fish to eat list of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

Start by pre-heating your oven to 450 and pre-heating your roasting pan with a layer of oil in it at the same time. I am not sure if pre-heating the oil in the pan actually helps. If anything, it just makes it more likely that you will get burned because you will forget that the pan is hot!

While your pan is heating up, blend a quarter of a preseved lemon with olive oil, garlic, and pepper in your food processor. If using a whole fish, like a small trout, you will need to make cuts in the side of the fish. Rub the preserved lemon mix all over the fish and into the slits. For my thin fillets I didn't bother making any slits but made sure they were well covered.

Then, get your heated pan out of the oven and place a generous layer of sliced onoin, cilantro, and oranges in the bottom. This stops your fish from sticking to the bottom of the pan and I think is an extra nice touch. Veggies cooked at the same time and less mess. Lay your fish on top of the onion bed and cook for 8-12 minutes, depending on the type of fish you bought.

When you serve, you have to use 2 spatulas to scoop up the veggies and fish at the sme time and keep it looking nice. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and impress your dinner guests with your pretty presentation. This was a nice, simple way to cook fish and the preserved lemon, as always, added a nice flavor and tartness.

49 recipes down in How To Eat Supper.