Poached Tilapia in Butter and Lemon Juice Bath with Spinach and Tomatoes

This is a really quick meal to put together and deliciously fresh. Doing the prep ahead makes it a lot easier. Fortunately, I have a lovely Meyer lemon tree and also some frozen lemon ice from the last harvest.

Hand selecting and de-stemming the spinach takes a little time, as does the chiffonade but it's all worth it.

The tomatoes are simple slicing and then I de-seed. Putting them in a bowl keeps them all in one place and then I add the water. Cleaning out all the seeds and draining the water a few times to make sure I have not missed any.

Using a non-stick pan, I melt the butter and then add in the lemon ice shavings. Next, I put the boneless, skinless Tilapia fillet in the pan, cover with a lid and let it cook slowly. Once it's tender, I add in the spinach and tomatoes at the last minute for a very quick steam. (The spinach is sliced so thin, it can even cook itself on the plated fish)

Carefully plate your fish with a broad spatula. The fish is very tender and can break apart if you are not careful. Then pour the lemon and butter sauce onto your plate.

Serve with a mini side salad topped with asiago and about three or four drips of ranch dressing. Rim the salad with some of your fresh spinach.

Finish with freshly grated pepper and a squeeze of lemon to taste.

TIP: If you have some broken pieces or actually prefer that to this formal setting, it still looks and tastes great.

Plus, if you have some leftovers, it's great over a crisp salad or in a fish taco.



PS. These are frozen Tilapia that are individually wrapped. Perfect for either single or group servings at the last minute.