Why make salmon when you can make tilapia?

I ask myself this question oh so frequently, passing through the fish market. Typically, salmon goes for around $8-10 more per pound. And what tilapia lacks in the trademark richness and lovely pink color of salmon, it gains with its summery lightness and flexibility as a blank canvas for strong flavors.

Needless to say, it was tilapia I rode home with on the 2/3, rather than salmon. And it was tilapia which would gain character from a zesty rift on bagna cauda, with capers, garlic, and lemon. The tilapia gets a gentle coating in seasoned flour, a quick saute in the skillet, and an even easier douse of this flavorful condiment, which pairs great with the chickpea salad I served on the side.

Serves 2
2 tilapia filets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon, capers
1 tablespoon, caper liquid
a dash of hot chile flakes
a good handful of flat-leaf parsely, chopped
olive oil
salt and freshly-ground pepper

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a small dish, combine flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
- Lightly coat the fish with flour, and pat to remove excess. Set aside until ready to sear.
- Heat up a small pan and pour in olive oil so that the pan is coated with a thin layer. Drop in garlic and let sizzle until light brown. Remove from heat. If the garlic continues to cook, it will turn color and become bitter. A sad, sad end for a fresh clove!
- Off the heat, add in chile flakes, lemon zest and juice, capers and caper juice, salt and pepper.
- The sauce can be reheated when about to serve over tilapia. In the meantime, the flavors will meld in the slightly warm olive oil and will gain some last minute vigor just before serving. Again, you don't want to overcook the freshness of this sauce.
- In a medium-sized pan, heat up another thin layer of olive oil. Nestle in both filets and sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
- Place the pan in the oven to finish cooking for another 4 or so minutes. The fish will be just done, flaky, and tender.
- Meanwhile, reheat the bagna cauda, and serve, drizzling over the plated fish.