This recipe has become one of my favorite lower calorie comfort foods.  Just a heads up that there are alot of ingredients and some scullery work involved in creating this dish but the actual cooking time is pretty short.  I find that we use these ingredients quite a bit - if some of them are new to you, look online for more dishes that include the new ingredients so they don’t just sit on your shelf.

Tilapia Poached in Coconut, Ginger and Basil Broth

Serves 4

4 good size tilapia fillets (2 if they are connected, and cut them apart)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbls. grated fresh ginger
1 cup roughly chopped basil
1 Tbls. vegetable oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 small fresh hot chili, sliced into thin rings
1 cup chicken broth
5 1/2 ounces lite coconut broth
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 Tbls. fish sauce
The zest of one lime
2 Tbls. fresh lime juice
1 Tbls. mirin
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to directions

Spread the fillets on a work surface, skin side down.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread the grated ginger on the fillets.  Sprinkle about 1 Tbls. of the chopped basil on the fillets.  Place two of the fillets on top of the other two, with the basil and ginger on the inside.

In a Dutch oven (or something similar), heat the oil.  Add the shallot, ginger matchsticks, and garlic.  Saute for 1 minute.  Add the celery and chili and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and heat for 2 minutes.  Arrange the fish “packages” on top of the celery mixture.  Pour the coconut milk over the fish and turn the heat to high.  As soon as the coconut milk simmers, reduce the heat to medium low and cover.  Simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Carefully transfer the fish to a plate.  Increase the heat to high.  Add the remaining basil, scallions, fish sauce, lime zest and juice, and mirin.  Bring the broth to a simmer.

For each serving, place a small mound of rice in a bowl, top with 1/2 of one of the fish “packages”, ladle the hot broth and celery over the fish and serve immediately.