Prize catch: delicious recipes for three great fish you can feel good about serving - Food and Entertaining

Sunset, Feb, 2004 by Charity Ferreira

The reasons to eat fish are numerous and compelling: It's a delicious, low-fat, quick-cooking source of protein whose health benefits have made headline news in the last few years. But recent cautions from environmental groups about the dwindling supplies of some species and the destructive fishing methods used for others--coupled with unfamiliar or expensive choices at the fish counter--can make it baffling to decide which type to bring home for dinner.

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Here's help: Three fish you may have been overlooking--U.S.-farmed tilapia, catfish, and trout--are ideal choices. They're easy to find year-round, and all three have wersatile flavor and a texture that's suited to cooking techniques and dishes from a variety of cuisines. Even better, they're farm raised in a way that has minimal negative impact on the environment. You can feel good about trying them in these flavorful recipes.

Tilapia, a mild, firm-textured fish native to North Africa, is farm raised all over the world. In the United States, most tilapia are farmed in inland recirculating systems and fed a vegetable-based diet, both of which have little impact on the environment.

Tilapia with Tomatoes and Garbanzos

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: Preserved lemon is a salty, tangy condiment available in some well-stocked supermarkets and in stores that carry Middle Eastern ingredients. If you can't find it, substitute 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel and an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt.

    1  tablespoon olive oil

  1/2  cup slivered onion (about 4 oz.)

    1  head fennel (about 1 lb.), stalks
       removed, halved lengthwise,
       cored, and thinly sliced

    1  can (14 1/2 oz.) crushed or diced
       tomatoes

    1  can (15 1/2 oz.) garbanzos,
       drained and rinsed

    1  tablespoon minced preserved lemon
       (see notes)

  1/4  cup pitted oil-cured or other
       black olives

1 1/2  teaspoons ground cumin

  1/2  teaspoon ground turmeric

  1/2  teaspoon paprika

  1/2  teaspoon each salt and pepper

    1  pound boned, skinned tilapia
       fillets, rinsed, cut into 4 pieces

1 1/2  cups couscous

    3  tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Pour olive oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan (with 2-in.-tall sides) over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and fennel and stir often until limp, about 8 minutes.

2. Stir in tomatoes, garbanzos, preserved lemon, olives, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Lay fish over vegetables; cover and cook, turning fish once, until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 10 minutes.

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3. Meanwhile, in a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover pan, and remove from heat. Let stand until water is absorbed and couscous is tender to bite, about 5 minutes.

4. Fluff couscous with a fork and divide among four wide bowls. Spoon fish and vegetables over couscous. Sprinkle with parsley.

Per serving: 569 cal., 19% (108 cal.) from fat; 36 g protein; 12 g fat (1 g sat.); 79 g carbo (9.4 g fiber); 1,129 mg sodium; 57 mg chol.

Catfish has long been a favorite in the South, but the wide availability and sweet, nutty flavor of farmed catfish make it a good choice in many different cuisines. In the U.S., catfish are farmed in closed freshwater ponds and fed a grain-based diet, which puts a negligible demand on the environment.

Thai Catfish Curry with Sweet Potatoes

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

NOTES: Serve this coconut milk-based curry over steamed jasmine rice. For a mild curry, use only 2 teaspoons red curry paste.

    2  teaspoons vegetable oil

  1/3  cup chopped shallots

    1  tablespoon minced peeled ginger

    1  tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2  cups reduced-fat (light)
       coconut milk

    2  to 3 teaspoons Thai red curry
       paste (see notes)

    1  teaspoon firmly packed brown
       sugar

    2  teaspoons soy sauce

    1  pound Garnet or Jewel sweet
       potatoes, peeled and cut into
       1/2-inch cubes

    1  pound boned, skinned catfish
       fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces

    3  cups slivered napa cabbage (8
       oz.)

    3  cups lightly packed spinach
       leaves, rinsed

  1/4  cup chopped fresh cilantro

    2  tablespoons lime juice

1. Pour oil into a 12-inch frying pan (with 2-in.-tall sides) or a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add shallots, ginger, and garlic and stir often until shallots are limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer.

2. Stir in sweet potatoes; reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Gently stir in catfish, cover, and cook until sweet potatoes are tender and fish is opaque but still moist-looking in the center (cut to test), 8 to 10 minutes longer.

3. Gently stir in cabbage and cook, uncovered, until limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, cilantro, and lime juice and serve immediately.