African Tilapia fish

About Tilipia fish

Fishery experts have dubbed tilapia as “aquatic chicken” because it possesses many positive attributes that suit the fish for a varied range of aquaculture systems.
For one, tilapia tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions and is highly resistant to diseases and parasitic infections. Tilapia has become a very important fish in the world, especially in Asia and Africa,” said Dr. Guerrero, who holds a doctorate degree in fisheries management from Auburn University in the US. “Where you have a problem of protein deficiency, where there is hunger and malnutrition, people depend on rice and cultured fish like tilapia.

The tilapia fish is consitute of many delicious african cusines often served as party of occasion foods. It is mostly eaten fried or grilled. Tilipia fish is a scaly and quite bony, the flesh can be described as off white of slightly pink. The firm  flesh of tilapia turns a smooth milky colour when cooked. Moist and delicate, tilapia has a mild, slightly sweet flavour, which makes it very versatile as it absorbs the flavour of any added spice or herb. It is an excellent fish for grilling and broiling. We shall be going into many ways we can prepare this fish into different palatable meals.

Nutritional value

Tilapia is a semi-fatty fish. For the weight conscious, steaming, poaching or cooking in parchment would be the wise choice.

The nutritional value of tilapia is very good. A 100g cooked portion of tilapia contains 26g of protein and less than 3g of fat, ideal for someone on a low-fat diet. Tilapia is also an excellent source of protein, vitamin A, iron and calcium.

Culinary tips and advice

• When buying fresh tilapia, ensure that the flesh is translucent white or ivory and does not have a strong odour.
• An all-purpose fish, tilapia can just as easily be poached, grilled on the barbecue, pan-fried, deep-fried, braised, roasted, steamed and even threaded on skewers for brochettes.
• Simple preparations are recommended to preserve the subtle flavour of tilapia. Even its skin is edible.
• Tilapia can be prepared with fresh ginger and soya sauce, or with tomatoes and fresh coriander.
• It can be oven-baked slowly with a small amount of broth or fish stock accompanied by aromatic vegetables like carrots, celery, onion or fennel.
• Tilapia is also very good pan-fried in olive oil.

Tilapia Recipe

Grilled Tilapia with onion sauce

Grilled Tilapia is very popular in Western Africa, especially Nigeria. It is often eaten on its own or with chips as a relaxing meal after a hard day's job. In Angola it is called 'Mufete de Causo' which also means grilled Tilapia with Onion and chilli sauce. It is served hot and fresh and goes really well with a dash of lemon juice.

To prepare Grilled Tilipia for 1 or 2 persons (note tha the measure of chilli can be adjusted for those who do not like really spicy meals)

Ingredients:

1 whole tilapia
1 onion, grated
1 tbsp of grated ginger or ground ginger
1 maggi cube
1 tbsp hot pepper or 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp garlic, grated
some finely chopped parsley
salt to desired taste

Direction:

Descale and gut the fish. Mix all the ingredients together except the Tilapia. It is better to make a paste with the ingredients (you can use a food processor or mix with a fork)
Marinate the fish with that mixture, make sure the fish is well coated with the paster , rub the paste all over (inside the gutted areas and the head of the tilapia as well) . Let it sit for 2 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

The next step is to preheat your barbeque or grill.  Grill the fish until done ( around 30 min) 15 min per side. You can brush the fish with olive or vegetable oil while grilling.
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp freshly-ground chilli

If using the oven preheat to 400°F and bake, wrapped in greased  foil, on a baking sheet, for about 20 minutes. When it ready serve immediately with onion and chilli sauce and chips or any other side dish you desire.

For the Sauce:

Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Maggi cube
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:

Preheat oil in a pan at medium heat for 2mins. Add all the ingredients to the oil and allow to simmer for 10-15 mins. Serve immediately.