Rami came over for dinner last night. I made Zippy Fish Fillets and steamed green beans with lemon butter. The food was a big hit, and Barclay laid calmly in the living room with Chloe in sight for about 45 minutes! Yeah!!
Last night my version of “Zippy Fish Fillets” was decidedly zipless. Rami guessed that maybe it’s called Zippy because it is so quick to make, not because of its Zippy flavor profile. I will probably make Zippy Fish Fillets again, but next time I would add some Tabasco to the liquid or seasoning to the bread crumbs to give it a little more kick.
Zippy fish, besides being completely devoid of spices, is actually a pretty timeless recipe that works well in modern kitchens. It is healthy, quick, and cheap. Betty Draper would approve, but I can’t imagine her touching raw fish.
Here’s the recipe, serves 2:
2 fish fillets, like tilapia
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tsp. lemon juice
bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 500 and grease a small, shallow pan. (I used a pie tin.) Mix Worcestershire and lemon juice in another small pan, and pour about a 1/2 inch deep layer of breadcrumbs in another small pan. Dip each side of the fish fillet in the Worcesterlemon, season with salt and pepper, then dip in the breadcrumbs. Don’t go too crazy with the breadcrumbs– whatever sticks on the first dip of each side will be enough. Put the breaded fish fillets in your greased pan, and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Drink suggestions: cheap white wine, whiskey and ginger.