Fish Nuggets from Our Community Table

I have vague recollections about the first time I had tilapia. Mainly, I remember that I didn’t like it. But since I kept hearing it praised and seeing recipes for tilapia that sounded good, I figured I’d give the fish another chance.

In general, I think that’s a good idea. If you try something and don’t like it, the problem might be with the overall recipe and not with the individual ingredients.  It’s good to be open to trying new things, but also to giving a second chance to something that didn’t impress you the first time around. 

And that is what I did. I actually tried two different recipes because I bought the said fish at Costco and had quite a lot of it in the freezer. I used half of it for one recipe and half of it another time using a different recipe. And the tilapia was great! We all liked it a lot. Lesson learned.

The recipe that you will find below is very tasty and also very simple.  If you like breaded fish, but avoid deep frying, this is a recipe that you will enjoy. If you love deep frying, but are looking for a healthier alternative, look no further than this Our Community Table column.

If you do not have whole wheat panko crumbs, you can use any panko crumbs. If you don’t have panko crumbs, you can use the breading of your choice: bread crumbs, matza meal, etc. The end result will be a bit different than when using panko, but will still taste good.

One last note: Guacamole is a great accompaniment to fish. I highly recommend it. When I was a child, the only time my mother bought avocadoes was when she was going to be making fried fish. I buy avocadoes almost every time I go to the store and use them in a myriad of ways. But I can’t imagine eating fried or baked breaded fish without guacamole.

Deena Abraham
Community Contributor

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Fish Nuggets

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. tilapia                                                    

• 3/8 tsp. salt

• ¼ tsp. pepper                                                 

• 1/3 c. cornstarch

• 1 Tbsp. water                                                 

• 1 egg

• 1 c. whole wheat panko crumbs                    

• 2 Tbsp. oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the fish in 1 ½” pieces.

2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Dip in cornstarch.

4. Combine the water and egg.

5. Dip fish pieces in the egg mixture, then coat with panko crumbs.

6. Place on greased baking sheets and drizzle oil over the top.

7. Bake at 450 for 12 minutes.

8. Then, turn each piece over and bake for an additional 8 minutes.