# Help Please, Tilapia



## Chile Chef (Jan 7, 2010)

Ok here goes.


Last night I made a _Tilapia _fillet with foil wrap, and it turned out great, however there was a lot of juice left over from the oil, cilantro, Anyways I was wondering the next time I cook my fish again this way how can I make it so there isn't a lot of liquid?


Also The fish was cooked properly but it was soft and broke apart, i would like a nice little crust on the top of the fish next time I make it this way.


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## ChefJune (Jan 7, 2010)

It's not possible to get a crust on the fish when cooking it in this manner.  It will always turn out soft.  

I would have to see the recipe you followed to make a suggestion how to end up with less liquid in your packet.  My first guess would be to add less in the first place. Second, be sure you dry your fillet very well before placing it into the packet. The more liquid that goes in, the more will come out.


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## Chile Chef (Jan 7, 2010)

ChefJune said:


> It's not possible to get a crust on the fish when cooking it in this manner.  It will always turn out soft.
> 
> I would have to see the recipe you followed to make a suggestion how to end up with less liquid in your packet.  My first guess would be to add less in the first place. Second, be sure you dry your fillet very well before placing it into the packet. The more liquid that goes in, the more will come out.


Thank you ChefJune, I will post the recipe later today. 

I can tell you it has cilantro, shallots, garlic, eevo, dill weed, black pepper, carrots & corn. The shallots acted as a tribet so the fish didn't sit directly on the foil it self.


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## GrillingFool (Jan 7, 2010)

I think if the fish broke apart, you probably overcooked it a bit.
Foil cooking seals in the juices, so all that moisture in the fish that 
cooks out doesn't get a chance to evaporate as steam.
Add some Ramen noodles to the bottom of the packet
next time. They will cook in the juices and are quite yummy!


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## Robo410 (Jan 7, 2010)

talapia is a soft fish which breaks apart easily. each filet has a long and short half which differ in texture slightly as well, the short half being softer.  The firmest I've gotten this fish was by grilling it:

I lay a strip of heavy duty foil (lightly spritzed with oil) down the center of my kettle grill and put several lilghtly marinated talapia filets on and used the kettle cover.  I took them off in under 7 minutes.  The heat of the covered kettle grill dried them out a little (desirable for this fish)  Puting the fish directly on the grate would have been a disaster.
 They were nicely flavored and cooked.


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## ChefJune (Jan 7, 2010)

Why would you marinate a fish as delicate as tilapia?  White fish is not meant to be marinated.  You just season it before cooking. Marinating it contributes to its falling apart.


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## Selkie (Jan 7, 2010)

Tilapia... soft and absolutely no flavor... yuck!

Some people say it's a blank canvas... I say it's a waste of time!


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## GrillingFool (Jan 7, 2010)

Actually, I marinate tilapia quite a bit, especially for my fish tacos, and it doesn't
fall apart. I still say its overcooked if it falls apart. 
Marinate catfish and other white fish too, no fall apart there.
Perhaps I like my fish medium rare?


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## Robo410 (Jan 7, 2010)

I understand your comment ChefJune, and I certainly wouldn't marinate halibut or cod, sole etc. But I haven't found talapia having the quality of texture or flavor of those other fish. So a little brush of ginger soy goes a long way to helping the fish. Perhaps it is because I have only bought it at my supermarket and not a seafood purveyor (where it probably gets better handling and costs more.) I haven't thought that worth the $$.  But if you recommend it, I would give it a try.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jan 7, 2010)

I'm with you, Selkie.  As far as I'm concerned the only good tilapia is a flounder.  Or sole.


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## ChefJune (Jan 8, 2010)

> So a little brush of ginger soy goes a long way to helping the fish.


 imho "a little brush" is NOT a marinade. 

I also don't "do" tilapia.  but then, I don't do many farmed fish -- catfish being the exception.  Tilapia has no flavor to my palate, so I prefer to prepare fish that has flavor. 

Most of the fish I buy comes from the fisherman from Montauk who sells at the Greenmarket on Saturdays, so all that is there is wild-caught fish -- hence no tilapia.


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## babetoo (Jan 8, 2010)

ChefJune said:


> Why would you marinate a fish as delicate as tilapia? White fish is not meant to be marinated. You just season it before cooking. Marinating it contributes to its falling apart.


 
all i ever do to tilapia is dredge in flour ( no eggs, panko or other crumbs) this gives a slightly  crispy crust on the outside and does not over cook the fish. 

tilapia and catfish, and salmon are the only fish i cook. oh my! forgot lobster. you would think there would be more fresh fish in so calif. not so for some reason.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jan 8, 2010)

babetoo, you should be able to find a Trader Joes  somewhere near you - there are almost 75 located within 50 miles of LA.  I would think they are all over CA since their first store was in Pasedena - and is still there since 1967.   Although we have a good selection of fresh fish practically anywhere up here I usually keep a few selections of TJs frozen fish in my freezer.  It's vac packed; I've never been unhappy with anything I've used.  Comes in handy for the night you just have a taste for fish and are too lazy to go out and buy it.​


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## Chile Chef (Jan 9, 2010)

I'm actually going to try the idea with the noodles, but I've purchased zero sodium noodles in the Japanese section at a specialty store. 

I can't wait to try it.


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## babetoo (Jan 9, 2010)

Cooking Goddess said:


> babetoo, you should be able to find a Trader Joes somewhere near you - there are almost 75 located within 50 miles of LA. I would think they are all over CA since their first store was in Pasedena - and is still there since 1967. Although we have a good selection of fresh fish practically anywhere up here I usually keep a few selections of TJs frozen fish in my freezer. It's vac packed; I've never been unhappy with anything I've used. Comes in handy for the night you just have a taste for fish and are too lazy to go out and buy it.​


 

thanks will check it out next time i am over there.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jan 10, 2010)

babetoo said:


> thanks will check it out next time i am over there.


I'm more than happy to sing the praises of Trader Joe's.  In all the years we've been going to them I have had only one item I was not pleased with.  You just take it back and they give you store credit...no questions asked except for why you were returning.  And it's hard to beat most of their prices/quality.


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