Smoked Paprika Rubbed Tilapia
This recipe goes great along with these collard greens and lima beans. They actually inspired me to make this tilapia because I wanted something almost like what I used to get at bbq joints to accompany the greens. There is a little bit of sugar in the spice rub which will give you a nice caramelization on the fish, be careful because these cook quickly, and you don’t want to over cook them. Also the sugar will begin to burn if you leave them too long so make sure you’re standing by! An instant read is helpful but if you don’t have one, you can check for doneness by checking if the fish is opaque and flakey using a fork to peek into the middle of the thickest part of the fish filet.
Recipe by Tierney Larson
Servings 4
Ingredients:
4 tbl canola oil, divided
4 pieces of tilapia, patted dry
kosher salt
1/4 tsp brown sugar (not packed)
2 tsp oregano
4 tsp smoked paprika
Ok so..
Make sure you patted your tilapia filets dry. Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat (more towards the high side). In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oregano and smoked paprika. Sprinkle the tilapia lightly on both sides with kosher salt. Rub all the filets on both sides with the spice/sugar mixture.
Add 2 tbl of canola oil into the pan, and wait until the oil is shimmering and just starting to show small wisps of smoke. If you have a sauté pan large enough to fit all 4 fish, then you can sear them all or even 3 at a time, if not sear 2 at a time, replacing some oil if necessary between batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
Place how ever many filets you can fit while leaving them room, making sure not to splash yourself with hot oil by laying them in gently, going away from your body. Don’t touch them, and let them get a nice sear for about 2 minutes. Try to peek under, if they seem like they’re sticking, leave them for another minute, if they come right up, they’re ready to flip. Allow them to cook on the other side for about 1-2 min. more, looking for an internal temp of 145F. Remove them from the pan, and serve right away! Enjoy: )
