Tilapia - Some quick and easy ways to serve

Fillets

Slice diagonally across the fish to make fingers - dip in a light tempura batter (use a ready prepared mix) and deep fry until golden brown. If you don't have a deep fat fryer then a wok works well. Remember not to leave hot fat unattended! Serve the fish with a sweet chilli dip or tomato ketchup, a few fries and salad.

Another coating that is good on Tilapia is crunchy polenta (medium corn meal) - this gives the fish a nice gritty crunch and can be flavoured with chilli flakes if liked. The fillets are best skinned for this but can be either cut into fingers or left whole. Dip the fish in milk and then into seasoned polenta - add a good pinch of chilli flakes if liked.  Shallow fry the fish until cooked through and the coating golden. Try serving with a green salad with sweet potato wedges.

A quick and easy dish to bake in the oven using Tilapia is to lay the fillets (skinless) in a shallow dish allowing two fillets per person. Mix equal quantities of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard (amount depends on the number of fillets but work on a heaped teaspoon of the final mix per fillet).  Spread this mixture over the fillets and then sprinkle with breadcrumbs - We like to use a course wholemeal bread with seeds in it to make the crumbs but it's your choice). Drizzle the top with olive oil or a few dabs of butter and then bake in a hot oven 200° C/ Gas Mark 6 for 10 to 15 minutes until the fish is cooked and the topping crispy. Serve with seasonal vegetables.