1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons paprika
coarse salt
ground black pepper
4 skinless tilapia fillets -- 6-8 oz each
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa
cayenne pepper (my addition, see notes)
Directions:
In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal and paprika; season generously with salt and pepper. Separate fillets into thick and thin sides. Dredge each piece in cornmeal mixture, patting it on to coat completely.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook as many pieces as will fit (without crowding) until golden brown and firm, about 2 minutes per side for thin pieces and 4 minutes per side for thick ones. Transfer to a plate; sprinkle with salt, if desired, and cover loosely to keep warm. Wipe skillet with paper towel. Repeat with remaining oil and fish. Serve with salsa.
Stacy's Notes - made Feb 2006. Really good and very quick and easy. I just used 2 individually wrapped frozen tilapia fillets that I had thawed. Made full amount of cornmeal mixture (cut in half next time), and also added a dash or so of cayenne pepper to the cornmeal and paprika mixture. Cooked about 2-3 minutes per side, it was very fast on med-hi on my stove. Topped with jarred On the Border salsa. Had smashed potatoes and coleslaw with these. The Spicy Black Beans from the EveryDay food cookbook that is shown with this looks good too, try that next time. :)
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