The red tilapia is a very familiar type of fish that can be prepared into many dishes, especially braised dishes. Today, let’s join TasteVN to the kitchen and make 2 simple and flavorful ways to cook red tilapia with pepper for the family!
1. Braised red tilapia with pepper
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Braised Red Tilapia with Pepper Serves 4
Red tilapia 1 fish (about 600 gr) Spring onions 3 branches Chili 1 piece Shallots 4 bulbs Fresh coconut water 300 ml Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Common spices a little (Sugar/ salt/ seasoning powder/ ground pepper)
Ingredient image
How to cook Pink tilapia in pepper sauce
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Prepare the pink tilapia
Put the fish in a bowl and then add 1/2 tablespoon of salt, rubbing it evenly for about 3 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
Let it drain, then use paper towels to dry the fish. After that, cut the fish into chunks about 2 finger widths thick.
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Marinate the pink tilapia
Put the cut fish into a bowl. Add 2 minced shallots, chopped green onion roots, and 1 chopped chili pepper into the bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of ground pepper.
Use your hands to mix well so the fish absorbs the seasoning, then marinate for 30 minutes.
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Stewed Red Tilapia
Put a pan on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil, then add 3 tablespoons of sugar and cook for about 2 minutes until the sugar turns a caramel color. Next, add 1 chopped shallot and sauté until golden and fragrant.
Then add the marinated fish and cook for about 3 minutes until both sides of the fish are seared, then pour in 300ml of fresh coconut water, and stew the fish on low heat for 30 minutes. During the stewing process, be sure to turn the fish so that it cooks evenly.
Once the fish is cooked, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of ground pepper and a finely chopped green onion on top, then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
Stewed red tilapia with pepper and fragrant coconut water, has a beautiful shiny golden color, the fish meat absorbs the savory and sweet seasoning richly, with firm flesh.
This stewed red tilapia dish is best served with white rice and accompanied by boiled vegetables or cucumber, which is very delicious.
2. Red tilapia braised with black pepper and pork belly
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Red tilapia braised with black pepper and pork belly Serves 4
Red tilapia 1 fish (about 1 kg) Pork belly 100 gr Ginger 1 piece Shallots 4 pieces Spring onions 2 stalks Black pepper 1 tablespoon Coconut water 100 ml Fish sauce 4 tablespoons Cooking oil 6 tablespoons Common seasoning a little (sugar/ seasoning salt/ salt) Salt powder a little
How to choose fresh and delicious pork belly
- Choose pieces of meat that are bright pink, have high elasticity, and do not leave a dent when pressed with your hand.
- Fresh meat will be firm, with an even color, not slimy, and without unpleasant odors.
- Additionally, you should choose meat with a balanced ratio of lean and fat, with a thick outer skin, fat about 1 – 1.5 finger lengths, and the lean meat sticking tightly to the fat layer, which will be tastier when braised.
Marinate the red tilapia
You place the cleaned fish into a bowl, then add minced ginger and shallots, crushed peppercorns, 1/5 tablespoon of seasoning, 1/5 tablespoon of salt powder, and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce.
Then let it marinate for about 30 minutes.
Fry the fish briefly
Place a pan on the stove, add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up, then add the marinated fish and fry briefly for about 2 minutes until both sides of the fish are firm.
Cooking Red Tilapia
Use 1 pot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and use chopsticks to stir continuously until it turns a brown color, then add sliced shallots and julienned ginger and stir well, followed by adding the pork belly and then the briefly fried fish on top.
Next, add 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of broth seasoning, and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, then add 100ml of coconut water.
Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the water reduces and thickens, then add chopped green onions on top and turn off the heat.
Final Product
The peppery red tilapia is incredibly appealing, with the fish meat tender and infused with spices, a moderate saltiness, the pork belly is soft and fatty without being dry, combined with a bit of spiciness from the peppercorns and ginger along with the distinctive aroma of the coconut sauce, just smelling it makes you crave it.
This dish pairs excellently with white rice!
How to choose fresh and delicious tilapia
- Fresh and delicious tilapia usually has a bright pink color, not pale, with dark pink shiny scales that cling tightly to the body. Especially, the flesh of the fish is firm and does not feel mushy when picked up for testing.
- You should look for live fish to observe the shape and swimming style of the fish. Fish that swim flexibly and bounce strongly when touched are often healthy and worth buying.
- Avoid buying fish with too small a body, pale colors with cloudy eyes, sunken eye sockets, loose flesh, and a fishy smell.
Effective ways to remove fishy smell
- You can use rice washing water to remove the fishy smell by cutting cleaned fish into bite-sized pieces, then soaking them in rice washing water for 15 – 20 minutes, then rinsing and preparing.
- A rather unusual method is to soak cleaned fish in unsweetened fresh milk, just covering the surface of the fish for about 3 – 4 minutes to eliminate the fishy smell. This way, the fish not only loses its fishy smell but also becomes softer and more flavorful.
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I hope that with the 2 ways of making red tilapia cooked with pepper that TasteVN has just introduced will help diversify and enhance your and your family’s daily menu. Wishing you success!
