Creole Seasoned Brown Sugar Pecan Crusted Baked Tilapia. Now that I have your attention, let me share with you this delicious recipe developed in the Places In The Home test kitchen over this past Mardi Gras celebration weekend. In this the season of crawfish, Mardi Gras and Lent, fish recipes are in the menu spotlight. Mama Places In The Home (my mother) picked up a 2lb. bag of Tilapia fillets at our Walmart Neighborhood Market Friday afternoon, and promptly placed her order for fish.
Dave the Builder requested potatoes in cream sauce topped with fresh parsley, and my brother placed his order for my family famous creamy coleslaw. I do like a now we’re cooking weekend.
A bag of pecans and a bag of walnuts left over from holiday baking started the wheels of recipe development turning. Creole seasoning is always on hand, and everything is better with brown sugar on it. Baking fish, chicken, chops, etc… is healthier not to mention I can’t stand the smell of fried foods in the house. I contemplated soaking the fish in buttermilk, mustard and Tabasco, but will keep that flavor key exclusive to my catfish recipe. Traditional bread crumbs, fresh lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley round out the ingredient list.
Creole Seasoned Brown Sugar Pecan Crusted Baked Tilapia
Ingredients
2 pound bag (approximately 9 fillets)
1½ cups traditional bread crumbs
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning (see recipe below)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
2 sticks butter
2 lemons, sliced
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a baking dish, stir together the breadcrumbs, chopped pecans/walnuts, brown sugar and Creole seasoning.
Line a cookie sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place defrosted tilapia fillets on foil lined sheet. Melt one (1) stick of butter. Pour melted butter over fillets to lightly coat.
Working with one fillet at the time, dredge each fillet in dry mixture, coating each side. Place the fillets on the cookie sheet. Top each fillet with a lemon slice. Top each lemon slice with a pat of butter (1½ teaspoons).
Place cookie sheet in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven up to 400 degrees F.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and top each fillet with a generous pinch of fresh parsley.
Return the cookie sheet to the now 400 degree F oven. Continue baking fillets for an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe for Creole Seasoning
1/3 cup paprika
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon granulated onion
4 teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
In a medium bowl combine paprika, dried oregano, ground black pepper, dried basil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme and granulated garlic. Stir to combine. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months.
