fish success: tilapia with lemon vinaigrette.

 I made not one, but two, count 'em TWO tilapia recipes tonight in an attempt to take advantage of our extremely affordable tilapia here...this was the one that worked. Could I have taken equal advantage of this tilapia if I'd only made one recipe you might ask. Yes. Shut up.

Lemony dishes are not normally my thing, I'm not a huge lemon fan, but I am a sucker for the radicchio and beans partnership, and tilapia responds well to a simple fry, so there you have it. A tiny crumble of gorgonzola might've been perfect, but fish and cheese are unpredictable bedfellows. Or some cliche that actually makes sense. This recipe is adapted from something on Epicurious.

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tilapia with lemon vinaigrette.

8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio, coarsely chopped
500 gr cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup fish broth (optional)
6 tilapia filets
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the radicchio and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season the radicchio mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour to coat completely. Shake of the excess flour and fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Spoon the radicchio mixture over the center of the plates. Top with the fillets. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.

lemon vinaigrette.
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2-4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

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