Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia with Cucumber, Tomato, & Fennel Relish

By ltrodrigu

A trip to Costa Rica made me mad for tilapia. Here, I bread it lightly with a mixture of panko (my favorite type of bread crumb) and grated Parmesan, which melts and browns and toasts like the best part of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients

• For the Fish:
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tilapia fillets
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• For the Relish:
• 1/4 seedless (English) cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 heirloom or vine-ripened tomato, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 medium bulb fennel, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 orange, peeled and sectioned
• 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch sugar
• 6 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Make the Fish:
Crack the egg into a wide, shallow bowl, then beat it with a fork with 1 teaspoon water. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, and pepper.

Dip the fillets, one at a time, into the egg, coating both sides. Then place them one at a time into the crumb mixture to coat, gently turning them to coat both sides and pressing down a bit to help the crumbs stick to the fish. Place the fillets on a platter.

In a large sauté pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the coated fillets and cook until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes, then carefully flip them and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

Make the Relish:
In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, fennel, scallion, orange sections, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar and basil and toss to mix.

To serve:
Place the fillets on plates and spoon the relish over them. Store the relish and the fish in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.