Impossibly Delicious Poached Tilapia in White Wine Cream Sauce

Main Course / January 24, 2014

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, poach your fish in white wine over potatoes and asparagus, and finish with butter and cream sauce, and you get your name in lights!!! — No? Well, I’m still convinced that if you eat this impossibly easy and delicious poached fish you will be moaning in de-light; something I’m not sure Paul did even in Biblical times. But what do I know.

What I do know is that you only need 15 minutes to make this gourmet version of a delicious white fish entree. It’s colorful, bursting with complementing flavors, moist and satisfying. The kick comes from Italian herbs and that ol’ bottle of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt. Here’s my quick recipe that will float your boat, and give everyone a boost on a cold, dark January evening. (And it’s ready quick! This is part of my #fabin40 recipe collection.)

Poached Tilapia with White Wine Butter Cream Sauce

Prep time 10 minutes/Cook time 10

Makes 2 servinings

Ingredients:

(This feed two. You got a mountaintop of followers? You will need more fish so double or triple as needed although I can’t guarantee results if you do more than double it.)
2 – 4 ounce fresh tilapia filets, patted dry and brought to room temperature
1 large red new potato, diced in small pieces
1/4 C acidic white wine like a crisp Albarino (that’s what I used! I wouldn’t use Sauv Blanc or Chardonnay as the taste would over power this dish. Maybe an unoaked Chard or a Semillon)
3 – 4 T heavy cream
1 C fresh asparagus cut into 2 inch slices
1/8 t Italian Seasoning blend +
1/8 t Lawry’s Seasoning Salt + (to your taste)
Salt and Pepper
2 T butter
1/2 T canola oil
Sprig of Italian parsley as garnish

Direction:

Preheat a saucepan with med heat, and add the butter and oil. (You don’t want a huge pan for this because you want to be able to perch the fish on top of the veggies while cooking and NOT touch the bottom of the pan.) When melted, add the potatoes and asparagus, season with the seasoning salt and the herbs. Toss and saute for about 3 minutes until the edges of the potatoes begin to turn golden…not too long, though. Don’t want that asparagus to get too mushy! Now, add the wine and let it sizzle. Gently place the filets over the vegetables, season lightly with salt and pepper, cover. (It’s awesome if you have a glass cover. If you don’t, try some kind of see through heat tempered cover so you can watch the fish.)
In no time, about 2 minutes or so, you will see the fish turn opaque. Wait another minute. Take off the fish and plate it. Zap in micro for 8 seconds if needed. That’s what I did to get the thickest middle part cooked. DO NOT ZAP ANY LONGER and do one filet at a time if you use this method so the fish stays MOIST.
Now, add the heavy cream to the veggies in the pan, and stir to incorporate and heat through, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour the luxurious sauce over the fish, garnish and serve!

poached fish