Golden tilefish is known as the “clown of the sea,” due to its striking polka-dotted blue, green, rose and yellow coloration and features. (I personally refer to it as the "Doctor Suess Fish". ) The flavor is mild but distinctive, often compared to lobster or crab, which is not surprising since the tilefish is a bottom-feeder grazing mostly on shrimp, crabs, shellfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and squid. This Madras Tilefish dish is light and flavorful, with touches of warm spice throughout.
Place eggplant in bowl. Mix salt and pepper in with lime juice and pour over eggplant. Mix well to coat all pieces evenly.
3
Heat medium size pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil and eggplant. Sautee for 7-8 minutes or until eggplant softens.
4
Remove eggplant from pan and set aside.
5
Add onion, garlic and Madras Seasoning to pan. Sautee for 3 minutes or until onion begin to turn translucent.
6
Add ginger, vegetable stock, kaffir lime, and fish sauce.
7
Add corn starch and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to low. Slowly add coconut milk and stir to blend all ingredients.
8
Add fish and raise the temperature slightly. Simmer for about 3 minutes, poaching the fish by ensuring it is submerged in juices. Turn fish over after 3 minutes.
9
Add tomatoes and eggplant and stir in to encase with juices.
10
Cover and cook, simmering for another 5-10 minutes or until fish begins to flake and is cooked through.
11
Remove kaffir lime. Plate fish and eggplant alongside rice. Pour juices from pan overtop of fish. Garnish with cilantro or parsley (optional).
Ingredients
Madras Tilefish Preparation (serves 4)
1lbgolden tilefish filets cut into ½ lb pieces
1cupcooked Jasmine rice (cook per box directions)
1eggplant, skinned and cut into 1” cubes
1tbsplime juice
1tspsea salt
1tspground black pepper
1tbspolive oil
3cloves garlic, minced
1cupwhite onion, diced
1tbspfresh ground ginger
6ozvegetable stock
1tspcorn starch
2tbspmadras spice mix (see below)
1tspfish sauce
5ozcoconut milk
1kaffir lime leaf
1red tomato, chopped (or diced tomato, drained)
Cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)
Madras Spice Mix
1tbspcumin seed, toasted & ground
1tbspcoriander seed, toasted & ground
1.50tspground turmeric
½tspgreen cardamom pods, toasted & ground
½tspfenugreek seeds, toasted & ground
½tspground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese)
½tspcayenne powder
Directions
1
Prepare Jasmine rice and set aside.
2
Place eggplant in bowl. Mix salt and pepper in with lime juice and pour over eggplant. Mix well to coat all pieces evenly.
3
Heat medium size pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil and eggplant. Sautee for 7-8 minutes or until eggplant softens.
4
Remove eggplant from pan and set aside.
5
Add onion, garlic and Madras Seasoning to pan. Sautee for 3 minutes or until onion begin to turn translucent.
6
Add ginger, vegetable stock, kaffir lime, and fish sauce.
7
Add corn starch and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to low. Slowly add coconut milk and stir to blend all ingredients.
8
Add fish and raise the temperature slightly. Simmer for about 3 minutes, poaching the fish by ensuring it is submerged in juices. Turn fish over after 3 minutes.
9
Add tomatoes and eggplant and stir in to encase with juices.
10
Cover and cook, simmering for another 5-10 minutes or until fish begins to flake and is cooked through.
11
Remove kaffir lime. Plate fish and eggplant alongside rice. Pour juices from pan overtop of fish. Garnish with cilantro or parsley (optional).
