Crispy Almond Tilapia

The end of 2024. Another year of visits. Another year of writing. Another year of the chain. I sit in the kitchen on New Year's Eve and think about what the year held: the book accepted, the editing begun, the grandchildren growing, Ethan carving, Sophie making latkes and cranberry sauce, the visits continuing, the windows getting rarer, Marvin getting quieter, the quiet getting bigger.

The quiet is the disease's signature — not the confusion, not the agitation, not the forgetting. The quiet. The slow reduction of a man who was funny and sharp and present to a man who is calm and polite and somewhere else, somewhere I cannot follow, somewhere the disease has taken him and is keeping him, and the keeping is the cruelty, and the cruelty is the quiet, and the quiet is enormous.

I made brisket for New Year's Day. The constant. The anchor. The prayer. I am sixty-seven years old. I am about to be a published author. My husband is in a recliner in Cedarhurst. My grandchildren are in kitchens learning my recipes. My book is being edited. My blog is read by thousands. My challah is braided. My matzo balls are fluffy. The oil lasts. The chain holds. The brisket is in the oven. The year turns. I turn with it.

Not every night calls for the brisket. Some nights the oven has already given everything it has, and what you need is something quieter — something that comes together quickly, that smells warm and nutty, that asks little of you in return. I’ve been making this Crispy Almond Tilapia on the in-between nights, the nights after the big anchoring meals, when the house is still and I need to feed myself something real without ceremony. It is not the chain. But it holds.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, roughly chopped
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Lemon wedges, for serving
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil.
Make the almond crust. In a shallow bowl, combine the chopped almonds, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir together until evenly mixed.
Make the mustard glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, honey, and olive oil until smooth.
Coat the fillets. Pat the tilapia fillets dry with a paper towel. Brush each fillet on both sides with the mustard-honey glaze, then press firmly into the almond-breadcrumb mixture to coat the top and sides generously.
Bake. Place coated fillets on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork. For extra crispiness, broil for the final 1–2 minutes, watching closely.
Serve. Transfer to plates immediately. Garnish with fresh parsley if using and serve with lemon wedges alongside roasted vegetables, rice, or a simple green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Crispy Almond Tilapia — The Oven Is Always On