Years ago, my now mother-in-law gave me a cookbook called “Healthy in a Hurry.” At the time, the book was an eye-opener. Here was fast, easy, and (at least in the pictures) beautiful and hopefully tasty food. To be honest, the recipes are sometimes a little hit or miss. But I usually learn something from making them! Today’s was no exception.
Beer-battered Tilapia with Mango Salsa
Fish
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- dash ground cumin
- dash salt
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 bottle beer
- 4 white fish filets (I used haddock)
- oil, for the “frying”
Salsa
- diced mango
- diced pineapple
- diced tomato
- diced red onion
- cilantro
- salt
- lime juice
- dash apple cider vinegar
1. Combine the flour, cumin, salt and cayenne in a medium-sized bowl; whisk in beer to create a batter.
2. Heat oil in a large saute pan and dredge the fish in the batter. Add the fish to the pan and cook until crispy, about 2-4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with a healthy dose of salt right as the fish is ready to come out of the pan.
3. Serve immediately, with a large side of salsa.
The Verdict:
Won’t lie. The fish in this one was a bit of a disappointment. Even with the salt dosing at the end, the fish was…fishy. And a bit flavorless. This needed more salt. More pepper. Maybe a good dose of lemon in the batter. And maybe a whole other style of fish – something that actually packs some flavor. Probably not a repeat. The salsa, on the other hand, is a constant stand-by – great for chicken, fish, salad, the works.
DINNER CHEZ NOUS 