I love the simplicity of each and every recipe found in Alice Waters’ recent cookbook, In the Green Kitchen.  A wonderful collection of classic recipes and techniques that we should all strive to master, one of my favorites so far is the recipe for a simple ‘Fried Fish with Pickled Vegetables.’  I used a tilapia here, but any firm white-fleshed fish will do; a simple breading of flour, eggs, and Panko breadcrumbs on the fish before a quick fry in unsalted butter.  To gild the lily, you serve this simple yet decadent fried fish filet with a topping of your favorite mix of pickled vegetables.

I could see a nice gardeniera mix here, some pickled green beans, or perhaps even a serving of homemade pickled okra.  I was lucky to have recently purchased a mixture of spicy pickled vegetables while in Birmingham at their fabulous Pepper Place Farmer’s Market, so this was my pickled vegetable batch-of-choice.  The contrast of the crispy fried fish with the spicy, pickled vegetable flavor is truly Southern, and truly unforgettable.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Tagged: Alice Waters, fried fish, panko breadcrumbs, pickled vegetables, tilapia, white fish