Pine Nut-Crusted Tilapia — The Foil Pack We Make Every Year

Mid-July. Diego and I went backpacking. Three nights in the Sangre de Cristos. Same trip we did last year. Same lake. Same campsite. Same conversations. Same fire. Same foil-pack dinner. The repetition was the point. The repetition was what made it ours.

The conversations on this year's trip were different than last year's. Last year he had been a high school junior asking me what it had been like to be a senior. This year he was a high school graduate asking me what it had been like to leave home. He said, "Dad. Did you cry when you moved to NMSU." I said, "I did not cry at NMSU because NMSU was forty miles from home. I cried when I moved to Albuquerque after college, because that was the move that felt like leaving." He said, "What did you cry about." I said, "Mamá. I cried about Mamá. Because I knew that the next phase of my life was not going to have her in the same town." He said, "Dad. I am going to live forty-five minutes from home. Why am I scared." I said, "Because forty-five minutes is far enough. The drive home is going to feel like a drive. You are going to be a person who does not live in your parents' house. That is the change. The mileage is not the change. The change is in the relationship." He said, "Yeah." He sat with that. He said, "Are you and Mom going to be okay." I said, "Diego. We are going to be okay. We have been preparing for this. We are going to miss you. We are not going to disintegrate." He said, "Good." I said, "What about you." He said, "I am going to be okay too. I am ready. I am scared. Both." I said, "Both is right." We sat at the fire. We let it die. We crawled into our tents. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

We have made this pine nut-crusted tilapia in foil over that same fire two years in a row now, and I think that is exactly what it is going to keep being — our fire, our lake, our recipe. Pine nuts felt right the first time because they are New Mexico to me, they are home, and they still feel right now when home is exactly what we were talking about. Two fillets, a handful of pine nuts, some garlic and lemon, sealed up tight and laid on the coals — it is simple enough to make after a long day on the trail and good enough to deserve the silence that follows.

Pine Nut-Crusted Tilapia (Foil Pack)

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 tilapia fillets (about 6 oz each)
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
• 4 thin lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare your fire or heat source. If cooking over a campfire, let the fire burn down to a solid bed of coals with low, steady heat. If cooking at home, preheat your oven to 400°F or heat a grill to medium-high.
2. Cut the foil packets. Tear two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each about 14 inches long. Lightly coat the center of each sheet with a small drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
3. Mix the pine nut crust. In a small bowl, combine the chopped pine nuts, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir until the mixture is evenly coated and slightly paste-like.
4. Assemble the packets. Place one tilapia fillet in the center of each foil sheet. Divide the pine nut mixture evenly between the two fillets, pressing it gently onto the top surface of each fillet in an even layer.
5. Seal the packets. Fold the long sides of the foil up and over the fillet, then crimp the edges together tightly to form a sealed packet. Leave a little air space above the fish so the crust can set rather than steam flat against the foil.
6. Cook the packets. Place the foil packets directly on the campfire grate over coals, on a grill grate, or on a baking sheet in the oven. Cook for 18–20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Avoid opening the packet before 18 minutes to retain the steam.
7. Finish and serve. Carefully open the packets away from you — the steam is hot. Scatter fresh parsley over the top if using, lay two lemon slices alongside each fillet, and serve directly from the foil.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 390mg