photo by Jessica Leibowitz

This recipe contains everything you need to bestow some serious charisma on a bland fish fillet:  lime juice for acidity, fish sauce for saltiness, mint for herb-ish brightening, and jalapeno for heat.  I’ve cast tilapia in the lead role here, but almost any fish — catfish, arctic char, black cod, even salmon — would shine if given this treatment.  Feel free to experiment.

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total preparation time: 25 minutes

1 medium jalapeño
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Four 6-ounce boneless skinless tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium scallions

Thinly slice the jalapeño crosswise including the ribs and seeds; thinly slice the mint leaves crosswise to make shreds (about 2 tablespoons). Whisk together ½ cup water, the fish sauce, lime juice, jalapeño, sugar, and mint leaves, to make the sauce.

Spread out the flour in a pie plate lined with wax paper or parchment. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper. Working with one fillet at a time, toss the tilapia in the flour, lifting the wax paper on both sides to move the fillet around; shake off the excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick or stick resistant skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the fillets, and cook for 3 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Transfer the fillets to serving plates and keep warm.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions crosswise (about 1/4 cup). Add the scallions to the skillet and sauté them for 1 minute; add the sauce and simmer 2 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion of fish and serve.