Tilapia Parmesan

Meatless nights do not have to be boring. This new twist on chicken parmesan substitutes tilapia for the chicken and amps up the crispness of the dish.  Just imagine tilapia filets covered with a crispy, cheesy coating, smothered in melted cheese and topped with a fresh sauce of tomatoes and kalamata olives.

Makes 6 servings

Fish Ingredients

1 C Buttermilk

1 tsp Hot Sauce (~4-5 dashes)

6 Tilapia Filets*

¾ C Grated Parmesan

½ C Panko Bread Crumbs

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Kosher Salt

¼ tsp Dried Oregano

¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

½ C Shredded Mozzarella

½ C Shredded Fontina

1/3 C Vegetable Oil

Sauce Ingredients*

1 15 oz Can Diced tomatoes

¼ C Pitted Kalamata Olives (chopped fine) - Optional

2 Cloves Garlic (minced)

1 TBS Olive Oil

¼ tsp Kosher Salt

½ tsp Dried Parsley

Place the tilapia filets, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a zipper bag and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Turn bag every 15 minutes.

Combine the ingredients for the bread coating in a wide medium bowl (grated parmesan through black pepper).

Shred the mozzarella and fontina then mix together. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the can of diced tomatoes (do not drain), finely diced kalamata olives, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of dried parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Dredge the each piece of fish in the bread coating and place on a plate.

Preheat the oven on broil high.

Heat 1/3 cups of vegetable oil in a large skillet until smoking. Fry the fish until the crust is golden brown, then flip and fry the other side.

Place the fried fish on a cookie sheet. Top each with the cheese mixture. Broil for two minutes. Top with some sauce and serve immediately.

* Pronto Substitutes

Tilapia – You can use any mild white fish.

Sauce – If you don’t want to make your own sauce you can substitute 2 cups of marinara sauce.

Why Panko and Parmesan?

If you were to use a typical bread crumb coating on this dish it would soak up the sauce and get soggy. By using a combination of panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese the fish gets a golden brown without drying out and the coating stays crisp under a coating of of cheese and sauce.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Tilapia Parmesan.