Braised Tilapia
Updated: Jan 4, 2020
Today I opened up my fridge and all I had were 2 stalks of green onions left and peeled garlic. No onions or fresh veggies. However, the freezer did have some frozen meat and between chicken and fish, which will defrost quicker for a HANGRY girl??
I was craving something my mom used to make, which was like a fish stew... The fish was soaked in the broth and you'd serve it over rice, taking a few sips of the stew as you go. Here's my take on it-- I call this the emergency meal.
Ingredients
3 frozen tilapia filet (Kirkland Brand from Costco)
2 1/2 cup tap water
1/4 cup fish sauce (Three Crabs Brand)
2 stalks of green onion
3 cloves of garlic -- minced
1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tbsp. Chinese five-spice
2 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
2 Thai chili pepper (I used 1 fresh, 1 dried)
Preparation
Shoutout to Phenny for the piggie measuring cups!
*Prepare your ingredients ahead of time and set aside. Slice tilapia filet into squares of 3 for each filet.
Take your green onion and separate the stem. Slice the stalks "the long-way" (see my photo). I did this because I didn't have any whole onions and still wanted that flavor *always working with what I have, haha* Then take the rest of the green onions and chop them as you would for garnishing.
I used a small 2L pot. Pour in oil and turn to MEDIUM heat. Add brown sugar and garlic. Wait for the oil to heat up and saute, stirring frequently.
Once the brown sugar has mostly dissolved, pour in the fish sauce -- it will definitely sizzle up. Continue to stir for another minute, then add in the 2 1/2 cup water.
Add Chinese five-spice and chili peppers, throw in a couple shakes of salt and black pepper. Bring the heat back to HIGH, cover and let it boil for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the broth should be boiling and it should have a somewhat thick consistency. You can now add in the fish and the green onion stalks. I also threw in some fried onions, but you don't have to. Let it boil for another 10-15 minutes.
Taste-test! Add in more sugar if you prefer it sweet, etc. Serve with white rice!
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