Old Bay Encrusted Tilapia

I usually don't post recipes here that I haven't made multiple times. I like to make a recipe several times, tweaking and tasting and writing down exactly how I like it best - so that when I share it on this blog, it's the best version of that dish that I've come up with.

But, I had a little first time kitchen triumph last night and wanted to share it today.

Here's a little something about me you might not know:

I have never liked fish.

I didn't grow up eating any fish - unless you count the greasy, deep fried stuff at Long John Silver's which my husband says doesn't count. So, for our purposes here, let's just say I didn't grow up eating fish.

So, I've kind of always had an aversion to it - never really wanting to try it when my husband would order it, and definitely not wanting to make it at home.

But, several of my friends and family convinced me that I should try tilapia. "It's a mild fish. It's delicate and doesn't taste and smell *fishy*." So, I decided to give it a whirl.

I bought four tilapia fillets and sat down to decide what combination might make for good flavor on fish. Because I knew it had to have flavor if I was gonna like it. And, since I'm from Maryland (GO RAVENS!), the first thing that came to mind was Old Bay.

If you've never used Old Bay, it is a delicious, flavorful seasoning that is commonly used on seafood. And, it's made by McCormick - a company based in my hometown!

So, I came up with a coating that included some of my favorite flavors that I thought would work well on my four tilapia fillets:

Old Bay.
Lemon.
Butter. But, of course.
Bread crumbs.
Parmesan.

And, it was a delicious dish! It was light and flaky, flavorful and bright, and for the first time in my life, I enjoyed fish. And, I made it in my own kitchen!

And, it' easy. Easy, easy, easy. I broiled it - so it was ready in less than 10 minutes.

If you love fish, I'd love to hear what kinds of things you do with it. How do you like to make it? And, if you've never made fish at home or have never really been a big "fish" person, I hear you. I know just where you're coming from. But, give this one a try. It's incredibly easy, inexpensive, and full of flavor!

Enjoy!

Old Bay Encrusted Tilapia

4 tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon Old Bay

Coating:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, combine butter, Old Bay, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Set aside.

Line a broiler pan or metal baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place tilapia fillets in a single layer in pan and sprinkle one side of fillets with 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay.

Broil for 3 minutes. Flip fillets over and sprinkle with additional 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay. Broil for additional two minutes. Remove fillets from oven. Spread an even coating of mixture on top of each tilapia fillet and return to oven. Broil for 2 minutes or until coating is golden brown.

Enjoy!