honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 10, 2007

TASTE
Prosciutto contrasts nicely to eco-friendly tilapia

 •  Spicy sessions

By J.M. Hirsch
Associated Press

The oven-crisped prosciutto complements the flavor of tilapia in this quick and easy main dish.

LARRY CROWE | Associated Press

spacer spacer

White-fleshed fish is such an underappreciated ingredient.

Its ability to mate so well with so many diverse flavors — never mind the speed and ease with which it can be prepared — make it a natural for the weeknight kitchen.

For the minimalist, there is the simple drizzle of olive oil with a shake or two of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Or liven it up with a handful of chopped fresh herbs. Either way, the natural flavors of the fish will shine.

If fried is more your thing, but you'd rather skip the mess and fuss of oil, slather the fillets with a blend of equal parts mayonnaise and mustard, then dredge them through breadcrumbs and bake until crisp and flaky.

As for variety of fish, I've never been all that picky. Whatever is fresh works fine. But recently I've become enamored with tilapia, aka sunfish, which has become one of the darlings of the eco-seafood movement.

In addition to being low in mercury, tilapia usually is farmed in environmentally friendly (or at least friendlier) ways.

For this recipe, I wanted something fast enough for a weeknight dinner, yet impressive enough for guests. And while I wanted assertive flavors, I didn't want to lose the natural tastes and texture of the fish.

Rolling the fillets in thinly sliced prosciutto was the answer. The oven-crisped prosciutto (similar to bacon, but so much better) provides a nice contrast to the fish.

PROSCIUTTO-BAKED TILAPIA

  • Olive oil cooking spray

  • 8 slices prosciutto

  • 4 tilapia fillets (about 4 to 5 ounces each)

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 roasted red peppers from the jar, drained, patted dry and finely diced

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

    Arrange four slices of prosciutto evenly spaced on the baking sheet. Place a second slice over each of the first four. Set one tilapia fillet over pair of prosciutto slices.

    Season the fish with salt and pepper, then drizzle each with about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Spoon a quarter of the diced red pepper over each fillet, using the back of the spoon to spread it evenly.

    Starting at one end of each fillet, carefully roll it up, holding the prosciutto so that it wraps around the outside of the fish. Poke a toothpick through the center of each roll to help it hold together.

    Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the flesh feels firm and flakes easily. (Be sure to remove toothpicks before serving.)

    Makes 4 servings.

  • Per serving: 270 calories, 14 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 28 g protein