Tilapia with Oyster Mushrooms and Turmeric Cream Sauce

I'm not sure I want to admit how fast it is to make. After all, I subscribe to the slow cooking (and shopping and eating, etc.) habit and can not shed lingering suspicion that meals cooked in less than 30 minutes must not be quite that tasty. Unfortunately, this dish takes much less than 30 minutes to cook, so I'm afraid you won't believe how good it is. Until you try it for yourself. Well, it qualifies for the Is My Blog Burning event, Make it in 30 Minutes, hosted by Too Many Chefs. But you won't have to breath a word about that.

The cream sauce is made with a reduction of white wine vinegar which keeps it from tasting too rich. And the turmeric, while adding a cheerful yellow, also adds a delicate, faintly exotic flavor that further cuts the cream. It's a wonderful foil for this moist fish.

Turmeric Cream Sauce

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 shallot
3 sprigs parsley
3 black peppercorns, crushed

• In a small sauce pan, combine vinegar and water and bring to boil. Meanwhile, mince shallot, tear off parsley leaves and crush the peppercorns. Add to mixture and reduce until there is about 1 tablespoon left. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
• Strain out the parsley and shallots and return liquid to pan.
• Add the heavy cream and tumeric. Stir and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Salt to taste.

Tilapia with Oyster Mushrooms and Turmeric Cream Sauce
Serves 2

2 tilapia filets
6 ounces baby spinach
1 shallot
6-8 oyster mushrooms
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

• Saute the mushrooms in a dab of olive oil until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• In large saute pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil on medium flame until just smoking. Add the minced shallots and saute until just translucent, about 1 minute.
• Add the spinach and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Add more olive oil into pan if required.
• Rub the filet with salt and pepper. Saute the tilapia, about 3 minutes each side, depending on thickness of the filet or until completely opaque all the way through.
• Make a mound of spinach on plate. Drape the filet over the spinach. Add 3 little mushrooms surrounding the fish. Spoon sauce over fish and between the mushrooms.

Le me know how you like it!

Tagged with: IMBB24 + 30Minutes