Pan Fried Tilapia in a Caramelized Onion Sauce

About 5 years ago I ate Tilapia for the first time at a friends house, and ever since then it's been tied with salmon as my favorite fish.  It has a mild but very distinct flavor that goes with many different dishes, and if you cook it perfectly it will melt in your mouth like butter!  We only ever buy South or North American farmed Tilapia (ideally North American) because any other Tilapia is filled with toxins, especially if it's farmed in Thailand (most is).  Costco's frozen Tilapia is usually from Thailand, but they frequently carry a fresh Tilapia farmed in South America.  I like to divide the package in half and freeze it as soon as I get home.  That way, as long as I plan a day ahead, I can defrost the fish and have it fresh for cooking!

One of my favorite ways to cook talapia is pan fried with a mushroom & caramelized onion sauce over cauliflower mashed potatoes.  I just love how all the flavors in the sauce meld together with the creamy fish and potatoes to make a perfect combination!  I didn't have mushrooms this time, so I substituted with zucchini and bell pepper, but if you have mushrooms you can use them instead.

1 cauliflower
2 ¼ lb. potatoes
3 onions
1 bell pepper
2 zucchini
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 pieces of South or North American (preferably North American) farmed talapia, seasoned with salt          and pepper
2 TBSP white wine
2 tsp lemon juice
1 TBSP fresh oregano, finely chopped
olive oil

Fill a large pot with warm water and heat on high until it comes to a boil.  Add about 1 tsp salt.

Scrub the potatoes and cut out any eyes or bad bits.

Add the potatoes to the boiling pot of water.  Cover and cook at a simmer for 40 minutes, or until they fall apart when you stab them with a fork.  Meanwhile…

Wash the cauliflower, cut into halves, then cut out the stem.  20 minutes after the potatoes begin to boil, add the cauliflower, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until both the cauliflower and the potatoes fall apart when stabbed with a fork.

While the potatoes and cauliflower are cooking…Peel the onions, then halve and very finely slice them into long, thin strips.

Preheat a pan coated in olive oil.

Once the oil has started to sizzle, add the onions and sauté on high.

Finely chop the bell peppers into small cubes.

Slice the zucchini into halves, then quarters, then slice thinly.

By this time, the cauliflower and potatoes should be done.  Drain them into a colander in the sink and let them cool for about 5 minutes.

When the potatoes and cauliflower are cool, put them in a large bowl and mash them with some salt and pepper until they are creamy, adding milk, butter, and sour cream as needed.  I'm using my KitchenAid Mixer for this step, but if you don't have one you can just use a potato masher.

Cover the cauliflower mashed potatoes so they don't get cold.

Once the onions have turned a light golden brown, add the bell peppers and zucchini.

Sauté lightly until the vegetables are just beginning to soften.

Transfer all of the vegetables from the pan into another container.

Heat up the pan on high with some more olive oil, then add the talapia to the pan.  If you have time, dredge the talapia in flour before putting it in the pan.  Once the first side is cooked, flip it and add the white wine, lemon juice, oregano, and vegetables, then cover and cook until the fish willingly flakes, but is not dry.

Serve the flavorful vegetables and talapia over the creamy cauliflower mashed potatoes with a side of salad or steamed broccoli for a perfect meal.  I think this might be my new comfort food!

To see more of my pictures you can find me on Instagram at @audreygracephotography.