Tilapia – pocket fish with exotic filling

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 fish, tilapia pocket fish with 460 g
• ½ mango(s)
• 1 stalk(s) leek, small
• 1 piece(s) ginger, walnut-sized
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 tbsp ham, diced extra small
• ½ lemon(s), the juice
• Sugar
• curry
• chili
• Salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 6 sprig(s) Salicornes , (samphire, sea asparagus) for decoration
• 2 tbsp crayfish (crayfish meat)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Tilapia are freshwater fish and belong to the cichlid family. They have been the most successful farmed fish of recent decades. Tilapia originates from the warm waters of Africa and the Jordan River. Breeding them is quite easy, as they feed primarily on waste and only require warm water of at least 18-20°C. These fish are particularly successfully farmed in the cooling waters of industrial plants, especially nuclear power plants. Tilapia are particularly suitable for all areas where protein-rich food is lacking. However, the meat of farmed fish is only of average quality. For this reason, I was reluctant to accept my fishmonger’s offer. Only when she pointed out that it was wild fish did I take it, eager to try the real thing. It’s called pocket fish because it’s not sold as a fillet, but as a whole fish, with the back already cut open and the central bone and entrails removed. As served, the fish weighed 460g, leaving plenty of room for filling with various vegetables or fruits. For the fish filling, I chopped a mixture of mango, leek, ginger, and garlic and first sautéed it in a little butter in a pan, as if stuffed raw into the fish, it wouldn’t cook in the short baking time. I seasoned it generously with curry and added lemon juice, sugar, and chili to taste. I then stirred 1 tablespoon of diced ham into the mixture, filled the fish with it, wrapped it tightly in baking paper, and placed it on the lowest shelf of a cold oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C fan-assisted oven. The filleted fish is served with the belly vegetables and spaetzle or rice. Garnish each plate with 3 sprigs of salicorn and 1 tablespoon of crayfish. Conclusion: Even the meat of wild tilapia is, in my opinion, no more than mediocre. For the price of this species, I’ll be choosing a sea fish next time. I found the filling very good and will definitely use it again.