Talapia - Panko or Plain Breadcrumbs? And other help needed

[Callisto in NC]

Okay, I've seen some threads and most say to fry talapia in bread crumbs. I have some panko bread crumbs, can I use those? Do I need to egg wash the fish first or just add some salt and pepper and seafood seasoning to the bread crumbs and roll the fish in it?

 

[kitchenelf]

Panko is perfect - season the panko with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and I like to add some cornstarch to the mixture too. I also tend to over season a tad because the fish can be pretty bland.

If you want a Greek-type taste add some oregano and then make a topping of some chopped kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

 

[Maverick2272]

I, as well, have been turned onto Panko recently. They are great for fish, and Elfies mixture sounds good. I also like to add chili powder to the mix to kick it up sometimes.

 

[kitchenelf]

I, as well, have been turned onto Panko recently. They are great for fish, and Elfies mixture sounds good. I also like to add chili powder to the mix to kick it up sometimes.

Oh yes, and cayenne is nice too - not enough to make it hot though, unless that's what you want - oh, and some paprika, smoked or otherwise.

 

[babetoo]

love these crumbs, have used for fish, pork chops, and chicken. yum

babe

 

[Maverick2272]

Duh! Forgot all about the Cayenne and paprika! Although, I am out of smoked paprika and DW (in her ignorance) got a huge container of generic powdered paprika!

 

[Katie H]

I love, love, love panko for frying...anything, especially fish. Makes a fabulous crispy covering.

I would recommend a light egg wash before dipping in the panko. Let the fish sit for about 15 minutes or so in the refrigerator before frying. You will be very happy with the results.

And, sweetie, try dipping pork chops in panko before frying. Yummylicious.

 

[kitchenelf]

I love, love, love panko for frying...anything, especially fish. Makes a fabulous crispy covering.

I would recommend a light egg wash before dipping in the panko. Let the fish sit for about 15 minutes or so in the refrigerator before frying. You will be very happy with the results.

And, sweetie, try dipping pork chops in panko before frying. Yummylicious.

Glad you filled in the rest of her question!! My mind went straight to recipes...

 

[Callisto in NC]

Okay, so light egg wash, dip in seasoned panko crumbs, let sit for 15 minutes in fridge and then fry.

Stupid question. When I fry do I heat enough oil to cover the fish completely or just on one side.

 

[kitchenelf]

You can do just one side - otherwise you will have to add quite a bit. Make sure there is enough oil so you don't have to add more to fry the second side.

If you want to do it all at once just use a Dutch Oven and bring the oil to 375 degrees.

 

[Katie H]

I usually get a good "fry" on my tilapia if I put about 1/2-inch of oil in my cast iron skillet. Fry the fish on one side, gently turn over and fry on the other side. Typically tilapia is quite thin, so I find about 1/2-inch of oil is quite sufficient.

Remove the fish to a wire rack that is sitting over some newspaper or paper towels. This will allow what little oil that remains on the fish to drain off and keep the fish from getting soggy. I never drain fried foods directly on newspaper or paper towels. Always on a rack placed over them.

 

[Callisto in NC]

Katie, that's a great trick. Thanks. I generally do let my crab cakes drain directly on the paper towels and they do get mushy. I'll try the rack this time.

 

[Maverick2272]

That wire rack idea is a good one, thanks for the tip!

 

[Callisto in NC]

OH MY GAWD ~ Thank you everyone. The fish turned out to die for. I don't like paprika so I added kosher salt, course ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry parsley to the panko crumbs. It is AMAZING. I fried it to a deep golden and I'm so happy. Thanks for all the tips.

 

[kitchenelf]

Thanks for the feedback and planning my dinner for tomorrow! Golden brown is my favorite!!!!!

 

[Maverick2272]

OK, its not Panko, but it is fish so still kinda sorta on topic still:

I love Long John Silvers, but DW does. Then a friend tells me that LJS is just Golden Dipt batter. So, I got some Tilapia and made it at home. Everyone loved it except it did hold in the oil a bit much.
So, would using a wire rack work here as well to get some of the oil off? Or maybe it was just all about the temp and I didn't get it hot enough? I placed the cooked fillets right on the paper towels, patted them down, then put them on the plate.

Although now I need to go out and get some more Panko and maybe some Orange Roughy, oh and the smoked paprika! I am thinking Orange Roughy with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then coated and fried... Yum!

 

[Callisto in NC]

Thanks for the feedback and planning my dinner for tomorrow! Golden brown is my favorite!!!!!

My last fish I cooked was 1. boxed salmon and 2. trout and I just used the George Forman for the trout. This was the best fish I'd ever made. The outside was light but tasty. I really believe adding the onion powder added a lot. It punched it up and I didn't necessarily need my homemade tartar sauce for it, but that added a good flavor too.

Homemade tartar sauce.

2 heaping scoops of Duke's mayonnaise.
2 squirts of creamed horseradish sauce
3 shakes dry mustard
2 spoonfuls of relish

Mix and chill.

I was told today I was a right brain thinker and my cooking reflected that. I don't do precise measurements, I do scoops and shakes. Hopefully my fellow cooks/chefs can understand my drops and shakes recipe.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Maverick2272]

Same problem here, LOL. DW keeps telling me to write stuff down cause I make it up as I go, but I only measure if following a recipe!

 

[Katie H]

OK, its not Panko, but it is fish so still kinda sorta on topic still:

I love Long John Silvers, but DW does. Then a friend tells me that LJS is just Golden Dipt batter. So, I got some Tilapia and made it at home. Everyone loved it except it did hold in the oil a bit much.
So, would using a wire rack work here as well to get some of the oil off? Or maybe it was just all about the temp and I didn't get it hot enough? I placed the cooked fillets right on the paper towels, patted them down, then put them on the plate.

Although now I need to go out and get some more Panko and maybe some Orange Roughy, oh and the smoked paprika! I am thinking Orange Roughy with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then coated and fried... Yum!

I'd say temperature definitely plays a part but, yes, the wire rack would help, too.

 

[LEFSElover]

I watched RR today do a chicken asian spaghetti type thing.
In her mixture of chicken she used her version of panko crumbs.
They were Rice Puff cereal in the food processor. Anything think that makes sense in place of panko? I know nothing about panko cause I don't go to asian markets much. Would rice cereal in the processor be close to panko?