TILAPIA with Lemon Cream Sauce and Baby Red Pan fried potatoes

Have you ever tried Tilapia? Well, tonight was a first for us. For some reason I have looked at it, picked it up, but always put it back. Not anymore! It is delicious. I don’t care for fish that tastes like FISH. This white fish is flaky with a very nice texture, and is not one bit Fishy! It reminds me a lot of Halibut, but the price tag is certainly less. I dredged ours in flour, egg and then Panko bread crumbs, and served it with a Lemon Cream Sauce. We actually used much more of the sauce over the fish, but I wanted you to be able to see how golden and crispy the fish is! Make a nice tossed green salad, and some crusty french bread and you have a meal fit for a king or Queen. Pick up some Tilapia today!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1 cup Panko bread Crumbs
1 egg
4 tilapia or other white fish fillets
4 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:
On plate, mix flour and seasoning. On second plate, place bread crumbs. In bowl, beat egg with a fork. Coat fish with flour mixture. Dip into egg then coat well with bread crumbs. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add fish fillets, and cook about 3 minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip to other side for about 3 minutes more. Fish should flake easily with a fork. Don’t overcook!

LEMON CREAM SAUCE
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon – squeeze into sauce when done, and stir.

Directions:

On low heat – Melt butter in saucepan, and quickly stir in flour. Stir until bubbly and creamy.
Whisk in the milk slowly, and continue whisking so that no lumps are visible.
On medium heat, continue stirring until sauce has thickened.
Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice, and stir well.
(Don’t use bottled lemon juice)

Baby Red Pan Fried Potatoes

Step 1: Dig new potatoes from your garden
Dig extra – enough for two dinners
Step 2: Wash, but do not peel
Step 3: Cut potatoes in half or thirds if potatoes are larger in size
Step 4: Bring large pot of water to a boil
Step 5: Boil new potatoes just until fork tender.
First night: East with lots of butter, salt and pepper
Second night: In a mixture of olive oil and butter, pan fry the left-over potatoes
Season them with Salt, pepper and anything else you would like!
*If you use butter alone, it will burn!
  • Stephanie white - 01/23/2012 - 5:35 pm

    What do you do with the sugar and onion powder in the sauce? It doesn’t say… Or at least I can’t find it.ReplyCancel

    • Jonna - 01/24/2012 - 7:17 am

      Hi Stephanie,
      I just add it to the sauce for flavoring….it’s optional,
      but makes a difference.
      jonnaReplyCancel

  • Marie at The Lazy W - 04/12/2012 - 6:40 pm

    Hello there!! I found you through Pinterest and tried this recipe tonight… LOVED it. So did my husband. Thank you!! Delish. Have to admit this is the first time I have ever used Panko crumbs, and now I am hooked. Really liked the lemon cream sauce too, wondering how else you’d use it? Anyway, have an awesome weekend, thanks for the recipes!!ReplyCancel

  • Tammy - 04/16/2012 - 7:31 pm

    I thought this was a little weird. I think it is probably great if your family is not big on fish and you are trying to get them to eat it. But, it tasted like chicken fried chicken to me, but with fish. I would not call it “lemon cream sauce”. I would call it gravy. In fact, I think that is how I will make it from now on… as chicken fried chicken 😉 The gravy was great!ReplyCancel

  • Colleen - 05/22/2012 - 7:33 am

    I made this last night and it was SO good!!! We love Tilapia and loved this recipe. Based on the previous comment, I tasted the Lemon Cream Sauce before serving and agreed that it needed more lemon flavor. I zested the lemon and added it to sauce and it was a perfect solution! Will be keeping this recipe in the frequent rotation! Thanks for sharing! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • emily - 10/13/2012 - 6:03 pm

    I made the fish and cream sauce from this recipe (and some wedge cut baked fries on the side) and can I just say that they were amazing!! I will definitely be including this combo in with my repitoire of other recipes that circulate our table. Thank you!ReplyCancel

  • mrsblocko - 04/03/2013 - 10:42 am

    I’m not a big fan of fish, but this lemon sauce was so great I actually enjoyed eating the fish! I liked it so much I wrote about it here. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.

    ps we had leftover lemon cream sauce and I used it as a dip for raw carrots, but maybe that is weird!ReplyCancel