Grilled Tilapia with Cherry Salsa

Brianna's week. Memorial Day weekend was Monday. I didn't have the kids — they were with Brianna at her mother's annual cookout. I worked Saturday and Sunday at the plant for double-time pay, then took Monday off. Spent Monday in the yard. Lit the kettle. Smoked a brisket. First brisket I'd ever attempted at full size. Twelve-pound packer-cut brisket from Restaurant Depot. Trimmed the fat cap to about a quarter inch. Seasoned it heavy with salt, pepper, garlic powder. The Texas style. I'd been studying the videos for months.

On the smoker at 6 AM. 225 degrees, oak pellets. Smoked until the bark set — about six hours. Internal temp around 165. Wrapped in butcher paper. Back on until probe-tender, which took another four hours. Total cook: about ten and a half hours. Pulled it off at 5 PM. Wrapped in towels, into the cooler to rest for two hours. Sliced at 7 PM. The bark was deep mahogany. The smoke ring was a half inch. The fat cap had rendered into the meat. It was, without exaggeration, the best brisket I had ever cooked.

I ate two slices on the back porch alone. Wrapped the rest. Texted Jerome and Darius and Mama. Jerome came over at 8 with a six-pack. Darius came at 8:30 with Tanya and the girls. We sat in the backyard and ate brisket sandwiches on white bread with pickle slices, and a little of the pan jus drizzled on top. It was the kind of food that makes people quiet for a minute. Jerome said, "DeShawn, brother. This is restaurant food." Tanya said, "This is wedding food." The girls ate brisket sandwiches and ran around the yard in the dark. Mama, by phone, said, "Bring me a plate Tuesday." I did.

Pop ate brisket Tuesday and said, "That'll do." From him, that was a standing ovation. He's lost more weight. The diabetes is grinding him down. He's tired. Cheryl is worried. I'm worried. We don't talk about it directly. We feed him. We bring him food he likes. We let him fall asleep in the recliner and we cover him with a blanket. That's what we know how to do.

Wednesday business cards arrived. Five hundred of them, in a small box. I gave one to Kenny at break. Gave one to Big Mike. Gave them out at the plant like a man who was suddenly running for office. Got a job from one of them by Friday — a sixtieth birthday party for someone's father, August 17th, 40 people. Quoted them four-fifty. They said yes.

Saturday I was alone again. I made myself a quiet dinner. Pan-seared scallops. New recipe. Big sea scallops, pat-dry critical, hot pan with butter and oil, two minutes per side, finished with a squeeze of lemon and a little chopped parsley. Served with rice pilaf and roasted asparagus. The scallops were perfect. Brown crust, soft middle. I ate them at the kitchen table by myself and read a cookbook Jerome had loaned me. The seed in the ground stays in the ground. But it's growing.

The scallops that Saturday were about the same impulse — a weeknight protein that rewards patience and a hot pan, something I could make without an audience and eat without explaining. When I come back to that kind of cooking, I often land on fish: quick, clean, high heat, done. Grilled tilapia with cherry salsa has that same energy. It’s a meal that doesn’t need a crowd to justify it. The seed in the ground stays in the ground — but it’s still growing.

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

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
Pinch of salt, to taste

Instructions

Make the salsa. Combine the chopped cherries, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, honey, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside at room temperature while you prepare the fish. The flavors will come together as it sits.
Season the fish. Pat tilapia fillets completely dry with paper towels — this is critical for a good sear. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Mix together garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then season both sides of each fillet evenly.
Preheat the grill or grill pan. Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Lightly oil the grates or pan surface to prevent sticking.
Grill the tilapia. Place fillets on the hot grill. Cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the fish is opaque throughout and releases cleanly from the grill with visible grill marks. Do not move the fillets while they cook — let the heat do its work.
Rest and serve. Remove fillets from the grill and let rest one minute. Spoon the cherry salsa generously over each fillet and serve immediately. Pairs well with rice pilaf, roasted asparagus, or a simple green salad.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Tilapia with Cherry Salsa — The Quiet Dinner You Cook Just for Yourself