How to Sous Vide Tilapia
This recipe comes from my friend Chef David Nelson. He shared his version on my Facebook group, What I Cooked 4 Dinner Last Night. We are talking about two recipes here, one for the sous vide tilapia and the other for the spicy seafood broth.
I say that because the broth can be used on various fish. Chef Nelson served this broth with Mahi Mahi, but I can see it with cod, halibut, sea bass, flounder, and shrimp or lobster.
I chose tilapia because the only other white fish at the market when I went shopping was cod, and my youngest daughter doesn’t like cod. I dislike tilapia, but cooking it sous vide kept it moist and tender.
It was perfectly cooked and went well with the broth and Israeli couscous, but I’ll try sea bass next time.
Sous Vide Tilapia
In Chef Nelson’s recipe for Mahi Mahi, he cooked the fish at 131ºF for 30 minutes. I decided to do the same with the tilapia, which was perfect. You can read more about my First Sous Vide Experiences here.
Spicy Seafood Broth
I was intrigued when I read the ingredient list in Chef Nelson’s recipe. I don’t often cook with V-8 Juice, so I was excited to see what the broth would taste like. As it was cooking down, I tried a spoonful, immediately thought of Manhattan clam chowder, and knew this recipe would be a keeper.
The spice comes from the red pepper flakes; you can make it as spicy as you like. Be careful; a little goes a long with those little flakes.
Big Mistake
I did not pay attention and let the broth cook down too much. Instead of a rich broth to be eaten with a spoon, it was more like a delicious stew served on top of the tilapia. I blame my mistake on paying more attention to my chardonnay glass than the broth.
If the timing of this recipe is correct, the broth should be ready about the same time as the sous vide tilapia. If, for some reason, your broth is done ahead of time, I recommend you cover it and remove it from the heat.
You can always reheat it before serving it with the fish. Try not to let it cook down as much as I did. It still tasted great, but I missed the soupy broth.
What If I Don’t Have A Sous Vide Precision Cooker?
You don’t have a sous vide machine but still want to make this dish. No problem.
You could pan-fry it to cook it and then partially finish it in the broth. You could throw it in the oven to cook it and then finish it in the broth.
Or you could thoroughly cook it in a pan or the oven and serve it with the couscous and broth. Cooking it, sous vide is another technique you can use, and be sure to cook it perfectly.
Sous Vide Tilapia in Spicy Seafood Broth
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 pounds tilapia
- salt & pepper
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large shallot or 2 small shallots, minced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 cup V-8 juice
- 4 ounces white wine
- 8 ounces clam juice
- 2 pinches saffron threads
- 1 cup mushrooms roughly chopped
- 1 large tomato seeded and diced
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
Instructions
- Set up your sous vide cooker and get it ready for sous viding. (see notes below)
- Set your sous vide cooker to 131ºF and set the time for 30 minutes once it reaches temperature. While the water is heating, prep the tilapia and broth ingredients.
Prep the Tilapia & Broth Ingredients
- Rinse the fillets under cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the seasoned tilapia into two vacuum seal bags, add 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil to each bag, and vacuum and seal the bags.
- Wash and dry all the fresh ingredients. Thinly slice the garlic and mince the shallot. Dice the bell peppers, mushroom, and tomato.
- When the sous vide cooker reaches 131ºF, place the tilapia into the water, ensure the fish is completely submerged, and start your timer. While the tilapia is cooking, start making the couscous and flavorful broth.
Prepare the Israeli Couscous
- In a medium-sized pot of salted boiling water, cook the Israeli couscous until al dente according to the package instructions. The typical ratio of couscous to water is 1 cup couscous to 1¼ cups water. When the water is completely absorbed and the couscous is al dente, remove from the heat, stir, and reserve.
Making the Spicy Seafood Broth
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, and when hot, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the minced shallot and cook for three minutes before adding the garlic. Continue cooking for another minute until the garlic becomes fragrant, and then add the diced bell peppers.
- When the peppers begin to soften, about 4 - 5 minutes, add the V-8 juice, white wine, and clam juice. Stir to combine.
- Add a couple of pinches of saffron threads and simmer this broth for about 5 - 8 minutes until it is reduced.
- Add the chopped mushrooms, diced tomato, and a good pinch of red pepper flakes. If you like your food spicier, add more pepper flakes, but I prefer to have the shaker at the table and let my family decide for themselves. Continue cooking until the mushrooms soften, about 8 minutes.
- Cover the pan and remove the broth from the heat if the broth is ready, but the tilapia isn’t. If your timing is correct, the fish should be ready to remove from the sous vide water bath. You can always reheat the broth before serving if necessary.
Plating and Serving
- Add some cooked couscous to the bottom of a soup bowl when all the ingredients are cooked.
- Carefully remove the tilapia from the vacuum bag. It will be so tender it may break into a couple of pieces, but if you are careful, you can remove it in one piece. Don't worry if it breaks; it will still look good and taste great.
- Spoon the broth with the peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms over the fish. If you have some scallions, chives, or both, chop a few up to use as garnish. Be sure to serve with a fork and a spoon so your guests can savor the delicious sauce.
