As the holidays are fast approaching, I've been thinking alot about how to serve some of Redhead Tilapia's pacu fish to our family and friends.  I came across this recipie.  It looks good!  Imagine a plate of grilled pacu ribs with a side of atchara!  YUMMY!

Pacu Ribs with Citrus BBQ Sauce
(Serves 1)

Citrus BBQ sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 cup ketchup
12 cup white wine
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water

Whisk all the ingredients together in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half or to desired thickness, about 1 hour.

Pacu
6 ounces pacu ribs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup citrus BBQ sauce (see above)
Salt and pepper

Heat a skillet, add olive oil. Sear pacu skin down for 1 minute, turn, add 1/2 cup BBQ sauce on top and place it in oven for about 5 minutes.
Slice fish into ribs, add rest of BBQ sauce.

A Taste of Thai: Crispy, Spicy Red Tilapia Salad (Larb Pla Thap-thim)

The red tilapia is known in Thai language as Pla Thap-thim, meaning "pomegranate fish".  This type of tilapia is very popular in Thai cuisine where it is prepared in a variety of ways. Today I will share this recipe for Spicy, Crispy Red Tilapia Salad, know in the Thai language as Larb Pla Thap-thim.

Ingredients :

• 2 red tilapia fillets,  
• 1 shallot , finely sliced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp roasted ground rice power
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Preparation:

1. Steam the red tilapia fillets and pat dry.
2. Place the steamed fillets on a cutting board and, using 2 forks, break up the fish into very small pieces.
3. Heat oil in a wok or skillet on medium low heat and deep fry the fish until golden brown. It takes a few minutes to brown all the pieces to be very crispy. 
4. Drain the cooked fish on paper towel and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl mix together the chopped shallot, chili powder, roasted ground rice power, chopped green onion, coriander, lemon juice, and fish sauce. 
6. Add cooked fish and gently mix together until all fish is coated. The cooked fish should still be crispy while serving.
7. Immediately serve the spicy red tilapia salad mixture with mint leaves and fried shallots.

Turn your catered event into something truly spectacular and memorable

Since moving to the Philippines three years ago, I have attended many catered functions.  All unique in their own ways, but then again, all very similar when it comes to the food.  Nine times out of ten, it's always the same dishes served; beef mechado or caldereta, chicken cordon bleu, pork tenderloin, and some type of a battered fish fillet with tartar sauce.  Don't get me wrong, those foods are all delicious, but isn't it time for a change.  Even a small change with just the fish dish.  You can get fish with tartar sauce anywhere.  I have posted a couple of recipes lately that would liven up any catered event.  Imagine serving your guests grilled red tilapia with fresh mango salsa, or sweet and sour red tilapia.  Your event would be the talk of the town for sure!  This year, when planning your catered events, suggest to your caterer that you would like to serve a red tilapia dish.  We are preparing plenty of stock for the holiday season to fill orders for even the largest catered events.  Direct your caterers to us here at Redhead Tilapia Farm.

GRILLED RED TILAPIA with MANGO SALSA

GRILLED RED TILAPIA with MANGO SALSA

INGREDIENTS:
1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley (minced)
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp black pepper (ground)
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz red tilapia fillets
1 mango (ripe, peeled pitted and diced)
1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
2 tbsps red onion (minced)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and minced)
2 tbsps lime juice
1 tbsp lemon juice

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1  Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, black pepper, and salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the red tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2  Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and  lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3  Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.

4  Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the grilled red tilapia topped with the mango salsa.

Serves: 2

Sweet & Sour Tilapia

A Great Summer Recipe

Sweet & Sour Tilapia 

Ingredients :

750 g. of red tilapia fillets

salt and pepper

flour

a carrot, peeled and cut into thin rings

about a cup and a half of snow peas, ends and sides trimmed

1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced

a large white onion or 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

half a head of garlic, peeled and crushed

a small piece of ginger (about the size of your thumb), cut into thin strips

3-4 c. of cooking oil

For the sweet and sour sauce :

1 tbsp. of tomato paste
vinegar (lemon or kalamansi juice tastes better and is more aromatic)
water
sugar
salt
pepper
corn starch

Cooking procedure :

Heat the cooking oil in frying pan (a wok is ideal).

Cut the tilapia fillets into 2-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess, and fry in batches (do not over crowd the pan) in very hot oil until crisp and golden. Drain on absorbent paper towels.

Mix together all the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce. Go by your preference. Some like it more sour than sweet; others, just the opposite. Normally, you will need about a teaspoonful of starch for every 3/4 c. of water for a rather thick sauce. Of course, that’s not a hard and fast rule since the quality of commercial starch varies.

Pour off the cooking oil until only about 2 tablespoonfuls remain. Reheat. Stir fry the carrot and snow peas for about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the vegetables and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Return the fish fillets to the pan. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce and cook, stirring, until thick and clear.

Serve at once with hot rice.