Week 6: Pan-Fried Tilapia, Spaghetti Squash, Au Gratin Potatoes

Our assignment for the day was to make a pan-fried tilapia with buerre blanc, spaghetti squash, and potatoes au gratin.

Buerre Blanc ready for the plate

Final Plating

Prep: The tilapia was seasoned, dredged in flour, and pan-fried in butter until golden brown on both sides. No problems with prep, although a lot of care was needed to prevent the fish from breaking when plating it. The spaghetti squash was placed in an oven with about an inch of standing water and left to cook. Cooking took longer than anticipated. The potatoes were sliced, par-boiled, then covered with bechamel sauce and cheese on top. For the buerre blanc, the minced shallots and wine were reduced to a syrupy condensed liquid before the butter was added pat by pat. Temperature was monitored very closely to keep the sauce from breaking.

Presentation: I placed the components of the dish diagonally to create more of a dramatic effect. The tilapia was very large so I needed an equally large dish to plate it with. The swirls of buerre blanc help fill the empty spaces on the plate and help to reconfirm what sauce is on the fish. There was so much yellow and brown in the dish that I need some extra color to make the dish look more interesting. I used paprika to provide some red tones and placed a sprig of dill for garnish. I would use parsley garnish for next time instead of the dill.

Taste: All the elements of the dish tasted good. The tilapia in particular had a light crispy breading, and the fish was tender and flaky. The buerre blanc sauce went well with the flavor of the fish and you can taste the richness of the wine and butter, with a hint of the shallots.. The spaghetti squash had a delicate light flavor and the potatoes were well cooked and were well seasoned.

Overall: Definitely a dish to make again!