Pater Familias … because I'm your FATHER!

Gin-Flamed Tilapia - Fish, Fireworks, Wowza

April 27, 2010 · Food | Influences

Have a tough time selling young'uns, pisca-phobe spouse on food that swims?

Light Up Dinner With Super Easy Lit-Up Fish

Always looking to have it both ways, is our Girl Child…

On the one hand, her first-grade social set frowns on fish and God forbid she should defy an Ewww! fatwah. On the other hand, kid loves her fish and forks up Daddy’s dinner tilapia with gusto, but telling me how much she hates it.

Truth, the bigger deal here is praise for my fish from GC’s mother. Of the three of us, Minerva is the pisca-phobe. Given that and the fact that insincere compliments do not pass her lips (not to me anyway) “Delicious!” means major approval. He cooks! He scores! He wins!

Rightfully the victory goes to tilapia, our can’t-miss dinner fish. Foodies ding tilapia for lack of flavor, but taste neutrality works for children and squeamy adults. Cooked tilapia even looks friendly – pearly white flesh, firm but flaky and forkable. Filets generally are about a quarter pound per, near-perfect individual portions. This fish is, to boot, low-fat even for seafood and easy to score in frozen food sections of supermarkets.

Everything about tilapia is easy, including a show-off way of cooking that gets me cuisinier cred I do not deserve. The flaming finish wows adults because it’s so, like, TV chef, kids ‘cause it’s a big whoosh of fire.

GIN-FLAMBÉ TILAPIA

Give yourself 20 minutes or so, freezer to plate.

You need:

• One 4-ounce tilapia filet, frozen or fresh, for every grownup and good-eater kid.
• Saute or frying pan, preferably nonstick metallic, big enough for the job.
• PAM® or other nonstick cooking spray. If not, olive oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• One shot (1.5 fluid ounces) gin. Don’t sweat the brand, just gin.
• Long butane lighter, like for lighting fireplaces and grills.

Prep And Cooking:

• Thaw frozen fish in microwave on low power or in room temp – not hot – water.
• It’s okay, even preferable, to let fish remain slightly frozen, bendable but still a bit stiff.
• Spritz pan with cooking spray, or oil lightly, heat over burner set medium high.
• Rinse filets in cold tap water, pat dry.
• Pan should be good and hot so filets sizzle loudly when you put them in.
• Cook filets on one side for four-to-five minutes, then turn. Pan side, now up, should have brownish lightly seared finish.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• After another 3 ½ to 4 minutes of cooking, take pan off stove.
• Have lights turned down or off, order everyone to stand back.
• Hold pan by handle, away from body and face, or set on hot-proof tile or trivet, with lots of space overhead.
• With lighter in hand and ready, pour gin on fish, light.

Dig on the light and sound show -- fire, sizzle, applause! -- while alcohol flames off, which doesn't take long. Serve immediately.

For the kid(s), it ain't fish any more, but Fourth of July in your very own kitchen. Oooh and ah nukes Ewww. And it's good.

If you're wondering, Why gin? clean white liquor with a bit of botanical bite just works. Brown booze. i.e. brandy and whiskey, goes great flamed over meats and desserts but is a huge Ewww! with fish.

Okay, parent, do you push fish? What's your secret? Or maybe you don't even try. Tell...

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