Cajun-fried Tilapia with Mango Salsa served with Couscous Cakes

By forkspoonnknife

The sweetness of the mango works perfectly with the spice in the cajun marinade of the fish and the mild acidity from the mango and citrus dressing balances the dish. Pan-blackened fish with the mango dressing by itself makes a nice meal. The couscous cakes add just the right touch to complete it.

It's a simple meal that took me on a nostalgia trip; of me climbing mango trees and plucking the unready fruit even as my mother yelled at me to behave like a girl!

http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/2009/02/mangoes-add-zest-and-flavor-to-seafood.html

Ingredients

• 2 Tilapia fillets
• 1 T cajun spice rub (recipe below)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• For the salsa
• 1 mango peeled and diced small
• 1 medium cucumber peeled and diced small
• 1 jalapeno de-seeded and diced
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or coriander
• For the couscous cakes (adapted from Giada's recipe)
• (makes 4)
• 1.5 cups cooked couscous
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 egg
• 2 T all purpose floor
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper as needed
• oil for frying
• Cajun Spice (makes 1/3 cup)
• 1 T paprika
• 1/2 T ground cayenne
• 1 T ground pepper
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 T onion powder
• 1/2 T garlic powder
• 1/2 T oregano
• 1/2 T thyme

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Mix cajun spice ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Sprinkle lemon juice all over the fillets. Rub the cajun spice on both sides and let the fish marinate in the spices for 15 minutes. In the meantime, toss all the salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl. Shrink wrap and refrigerate until serving time.

To make the couscous cake, mix couscous, egg, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and mix until incorporated. The flour and egg help to bind the ingredients. Heat oil in a shallow pan. Shape the couscous mixture into patties and pan fry for a couple of minutes on each side to get a golden brown crust.

Pan fry the tilapia fillets until you get a nice brown-black crust outside and the fish is flaky to touch. Serve the fish with a generous helping of the mango salsa and the couscous cakes.