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Smoked Tilapia with Pili Pili

Recipe courtesy Cathy Tshilombo, Mama Africa, Tooele, UT
Show: Eden Eats Episode: Salt Lake City
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 20 min
Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 55 min
YIELD: 1 serving
LEVEL: Intermediate

ingredients

TILAPIA:
  • 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • Fresh bay leaves
  • Fresh parsley
  • Picked fresh rosemary leaves
  • Picked fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Pili Pili, recipe follows
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 whole fresh tilapia, cleaned and scored on both sides
  • Dried bay leaves, for smoking
  • Lemon pepper, for smoking
  • Dried rosemary, for smoking
  • Dried thyme, for smoking
  • Apple and cherry wood chips, soaked in water for 2 days and drained
  • Pili Pili, for serving, recipe follows
  • Fried plantains, for serving
PILI-PILI:
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 habanero chiles, stemmed but not seeded
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
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Directions

For the tilapia: Combine the tarragon, garlic, scallions, onions and some bay leaves, parsley, rosemary and thyme in a blender. Add the oil, lemon juice, Pili-Pili and salt and blend until it forms a paste, about 2 minutes. Put the fish in a deep dish and spread on the marinade, rubbing it all over. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, turning the fish about every 6 hours.

Start a nice charcoal fire in your smoker to cook over indirect heat. Sprinkle some bay leaves, lemon pepper, rosemary and thyme over the fire. When the charcoal is red, add the soaked wood chips and get it smoking. Careful as the smoke will make you all cough.

Place the fish in the smoker and cook, checking the fish every 15 minutes until cooked through, about 45 minutes. Transfer the fish to plates and serve with Pili-Pili sauce and fried plantains. Bon appetit!

This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Cook's Note: Never breathe the aroma of the Pili-Pili when cooking; cook it outside for safety.

Combine the vinegar, salt, chiles, garlic, scallions, tomatoes and 1 tablespoon water in a blender and puree until smooth, about 3 minutes. Heat the oil in a pot, add the puree, and cook for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a jar or bowl.

You can eat it on anything, pizza, eggs, burgers, fish, meat, chicken, cassava, soup, spaghetti, tacos and more. It can also be used as a condiment, as a dip or a marinade.

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  • on September 15, 2012

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    Woow, it's delicious! Tilapia is one of my favorite fish and I'm so thankful for your recipe Cathy Tshilombo..

    Carro Masamba.

    people found this review Helpful.
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