Poached Tilapia

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Howdy folks! 😊

Here’s something you don’t eat often in these parts – Poached fish! 😋Especially in a broth. We do sometimes eat our Tilapia a.k.a Bream – boiled. And that is often in a semi-thick tomato based gravy, to go with Nshima.

For this dish though, I was inspired by how the famous Asian Hot and Sour soup is cooked 🍵. And came up with my own version, because I was looking for a clear, flavorful broth. Poaching was the natural option. 😊

To ‘Poach’ is essentially to gently cook a food item in a heated liquid, such as water, stock, milk or wine. And that’s how this dish came together. The fish is cooked in a delicious broth of fresh herbs, spices and vegetables resulting in a tender and moist fish, and a delicious broth. Perfect! 👌🏾

Ready to give this a go, here’s the recipe 👇🏾 :

Poached Tilapia

Recipe by LubayaCourse: MainDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • 4 Tilapia steaks

  • 1 Large Red Pepper

  • 1 Large Green Pepper

  • 1 Yellow Pepper

  • 1 large Tomato, cut in slices.

  • 2 Leeks (onion) stalks

  • 3 spring Onion stalks

  • 4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

  • 2 stalks fresh Lemon Grass, chopped

  • 1 Teaspoon fresh Ginger, grated

  • 2 Bay Leaves

  • 2 Star Anise seeds

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

  • 1 Fish or Vaegetable stock cube

  • Fresh Dill

  • Fresh Parsley (optional)

  • 5 slices of Lemon

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  • Start with your Tilapia steaks. Make sure they are cleaned well – and fresh 😊. These have not been deboned, and having the bone in helps to maintain the structure, over the cooking period.
  • You will also need some fresh herbs and other ingredients : Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon Grass, Leeks, Spring onion are some of those. Chop these up, and set aside 😊
  • Start by boiling some water in a deep pan, then add the stock cube to dissolve. Also Add the Star Anise and Bay leaves, and reduce the heat to medium. This should be a gentle and not vigorous boil. 😊👌🏾
    To the pan, add the chopped spring onions and leeks, garlic, lemon grass and Ginger. Cook the broth for 5 minutes, then add the fish. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Uncover the pan, then add the peppers. Cook for 5 minutes. 😊
  • Next, add the tomato and lemon slices. They bring a slightly sourness, and tomatoes also start to color the broth a bit more. The freshness of the citrus notes is really lovely, and lifts the dish. 👌🏾
  • The last stage is to add the fresh herbs, Dill, and Parsley – if using. You add the fresh herbs last so they don’t over cook and and their flavour lost. Cover again, and cook for 10 minutes, allowing for the flavours to infuse. Turn off the heat and let stand for a few minutes before serving. 😊
  • When ready, serve in a bowl with some broth, and some bread on the side to go with. Delicious! 😋👌🏾

After reading to the end...what do you think? :-)