Grilled Tilapia Piccata -- When the Fire Holds Steady, So Does Everything Else

Election day Tuesday. I voted because Betty told me to vote every election since I turned eighteen and I still follow Betty's instructions even when I don't follow anyone else's. Went to the polling place at the Baptist church on Clays Mill Road, stood in line for forty minutes, my back informing me with increasing urgency that standing in line is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Voted. Went home. Made a sandwich. That's my civic participation for the cycle.

The real event this week was the fire pit. I've been using it for six months now, grilling and smoking, and I've learned enough to know I don't know enough. The temperature control is still inconsistent. The smoke flavor varies depending on the wood and the wind and my own attention span. Wednesday I drove to the farm supply store on Winchester Road and bought firebricks and mortar and spent Thursday building a proper firebox inside the pit — a lined, insulated chamber that holds heat better and burns cleaner. My back was against it but my hands were for it and my hands won. The mortar set overnight and Friday I fired it up with hickory and the heat held steady at 250 for three hours without adjustment, which is the fire pit equivalent of a standing ovation.

Smoked chicken thighs Saturday as a test — bone-in, skin-on, rubbed with salt and pepper and a little brown sugar, smoked until the skin was crispy and the meat was so tender the bone pulled clean. Eight thighs for two people because I'm testing and also because Connie doesn't believe in leftover chicken thighs, she believes in eating them all and dealing with the consequences, which are no consequences because chicken thighs are not a moral issue.

Clay came by Sunday for the leftover beans from Monday and to talk about the program. He's four weeks in. The counselor has him doing group therapy and individual sessions and journaling, which Clay calls writing things down I don't want to think about, which is a description of journaling and also a description of this blog, now that I think about it. He said the group is helpful. He said it's men like him. I said I'm glad, son. He said are you going to make those chicken thighs again. I said next week. He said good. That's a plan. Plans are good. Plans mean next week exists.

The chicken thighs were the test cook, but tilapia piccata is what I made the following Tuesday when I wanted something that rewarded the same thing the new firebox rewarded — steady attention and clean heat. Piccata is a quick, bright dish, all lemon and capers and butter, and after a week of mortar and hickory smoke and a Sunday conversation that ended with next week exists, I wanted something that came together fast and tasted like it knew what it was doing. Clay’s coming back for the chicken thighs, but this one was just for me and Connie.

Grilled Tilapia Piccata

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

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

1. Season and dredge. Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge each fillet in flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Sear the fish. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the fillets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
3. Build the piccata sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic to the same pan and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine or broth and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the lemon juice and capers and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
4. Finish with butter. Remove the pan from heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until the sauce is glossy and smooth.
5. Plate and serve. Return the fish to the pan briefly to coat with sauce, or plate the fillets and spoon the piccata sauce generously over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 420mg