Memi's Coconut Fish
My Mom made this recipe for us and my 2-year-old loved it. Shocking! This recipe was written down from her memory so adjust to your liking.
My Mom made this recipe for us and my 2-year-old loved it. Shocking! This recipe was written down from her memory so adjust to your liking.
- Carbohydrate 7.850000000125 g
- Cholesterol 84 mg
- Fat 19.115039997759 g
- Fiber 4.30374997625415 g
- Protein 37.4062449981948 g
- Saturated Fat 10.7786995021365 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (214g)
- Sodium 93.9745000023784 mg
- Sugar 3.54625002387085 g
- Trans Fat 0.622368999900997 g
- Calories 342 calories
Step-by-step
- Thaw fish for most of the day in fridge.
- Place almonds in small frying pan, (no oil in it) over medium heat to lightly toast almonds for a few minutes. Take out of frying pan and set aside.
- Cut or shred fresh ginger and place into larger skillet with about 1 T coconut oil and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and put aside.
- Add another 2 T or so of Coconut Oil, and place fish in pan on med-high heat for about 10 minutes, turning over and lightly browning until cooked through most of the way. When fish looks almost done (slightly flaky), sprinkle the ginger onto fish.* Sprinkle coconut flakes on top, as well and allow to continue cooking covered for another 2-3 minutes. Turn fish over, sprinkle more coconut on top, cook for a final 2-3 minutes.
- Take fish from pan and serve, garnishing with a dusting of fresh coconut flakes and toasted almond slivers. Add a touch of fresh ground pepper if you like.
Avoiding Common Heat Pitfalls
Coconut oil has a relatively high smoke point compared to butter, but unrefined versions still contain milk solids that can burn if the pan gets too hot. Maintain medium-high heat when searing the tilapia fillets so the exterior achieves a light brown crust without scorching the coconut flakes added later in the process. Toasting the sliced almonds in a dry pan over medium heat requires constant movement; thin nut slices burn quickly within sixty seconds if left unattended. Adding the fresh ginger halfway through the cooking cycle prevents the delicate root from turning bitter in the hot oil.
Managing Ingredient Substitutions
Tilapia offers a mild flavor profile that readily absorbs tropical fats, though catfish or cod work as viable alternatives with slight adjustments to cooking times. Thawing frozen fish completely in the refrigerator prevents excess moisture from hitting the hot skillet, which otherwise causes dangerous oil splatter and steams the protein rather than frying it. Unsweetened coconut flakes are crucial here because sweetened varieties will caramelize too rapidly and burn before the fish cooks through to the center.
