Honey Lime Tilapia (GF, DF, Egg, Soy, Peanut/Tree nut Free)

A tangy, sweet and crispy fish: achieving the fish trifecta. Great for a light dinner or lunch.

Thankfully, my son can do tuna and tilapia. So, I know this isn’t “top 8” but when you have over 30 allergies, you’ll take any protein and variety you can! Plus, the health benefits of fish are many. I try to have fish once a week.  That doesn’t always happen, as I have to admit I’m not much of a fish fan.  Growing up in landlocked Idaho, and having a mom that didn’t make it much, I’m just not used to it much. I’m trying to like it more since it’s so tender, easy, and fast to cook.

However, it’s my son’s favorite.  He adores tilapia and we always joke that it’s his Haitian/island roots coming out in him.  He eats the most out of anybody and then will even have the leftovers for breakfast!

I’ve tried dredging the fish in a general gluten-free flour, just rice flour, a blend of gluten-free flour + cornstarch, and just cornstarch and I find just cornstarch the best.  I love it when the simplest thing ends up working out! Since fish cook so fast, I think the light starch adds the perfect coating, for a thin crunch.

I love to have this with brown rice and my lazy honey carrots, so that honey really runs through the theme of the dinner.

Remember not to move the fish around.  Once it’s in the hot oil, don’t keep lifting it to check it, otherwise it will break and be a mess.  Leave it for a solid 1-3 minutes, until you see the edges are browned.  Ideally, you should only flip it once, leaving it as much as possible.

Also, I know many people say to only marinate fish for 30 minutes or so, but I find this leaves the fish flavorless, even with a strong flavor like lime. I think at least six hours is best, or even up to 24 hours.

I hope you’ll like this as much as my son does and give you a new take to try out fish with.

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Honey Lime Tilapia (GF, DF, Egg, Soy, Peanut/Tree nut Free)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 6 hours

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

A tangy, sweet and crispy fish: achieving the fish trifecta. Great for a light dinner or lunch.

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Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets, thawed
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 c cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3-5 Tbsp canola oil

Instructions

1. In a zip top bag, or shallow glass pan, combine the marinade ingredients: juice and zest of one lime, honey, salt, pepper and garlic. If your lime isn't very juicy (around 3 Tablespoons, then I'll supplement with bottled lime juice so there's enough liquid in the marinate.) Add the fish and allow to marinate for around six hours, or more up to 24 hours.
2. When it's done marinating, heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat until it's rippling. Pour the cornstarch onto a shallow plate, and sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the fish in the cornstarch on both sides and add to the hot oil.
3. Do not disturb the fish, or flip more than once. Leave until you see the corners browned and then flip again. Each side only takes 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve immediately with additional fresh lime wedges.

Adapted from: One Lovely Life