Tilapia is one of the fishes that are very important to enhance the state of aquaculture in various countries including Africa, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Many people use the fish as a main ingredient in their recipes because it is very nutritious and it is rich in protein. Knowing how to cook tilapia is easy. To retain the minerals and vitamins present in this seafood, it is important to learn the various ways of cooking the fish like pan-frying, steaming and baking.
Pan-frying
To understand how to cook tilapia, start with knowing the steps in fried tilapia since this is the most popular way of preparing and cooking the seafood. Some of the ingredients used in this dish a medium-sized tilapia, three tablespoons lemon juice and three tablespoons flour. To enhance the flavor of the dish, add four tablespoons vegetable oil, four tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon pepper, a tablespoon chopped parsley and ½ teaspoon salt. Season the seafood with pepper and salt. Place the fish in a bowl and coat it with flour. Pour the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the fish and cook for five to 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the tilapia in a clean plate. Put the remaining ingredients in a food processor for five minutes. Pour the puree over the seafood and serve with a cup of plain rice.
Steaming
Aside from pan-frying, steaming is another popular method of cooking tilapia. To serve a scrumptious steamed fish, these are the required ingredients; a fresh tilapia, three tablespoons of red wine, a tablespoon of soy sauce, ¼ cup sliced gingerroot, 1/3 tablespoon white sugar, six dried chilies and a stalk of spring onion. Clean the fish over cold water. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Combine the garlic, spring onion as well as ginger. Put these ingredients in the guts of the seafood. Before putting the fish in a steamer, cover it with an aluminum foil. Cook the fish for 20 to 30 minutes. Place the seafood in a plate. Put the sugar, dried chilies, red wine and soy sauce in a bowl and mix. Pour the sauce over the seafood. Serve immediately.
Baking
Baking tilapia is very easy. Pour ¼ cup of peanut oil in a baking dish. Season a medium-sized tilapia and place in the dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place inside an oven that was preheated to 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the seafood for 20 minutes to half hour. Serve with a heart side dish like buttered vegetables.
