Baked Tilapia Iowa Cajun Style

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 6 tilapia fillets, frozen (or thawed)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon lawry's seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper (schillings)
• 1/2 teaspoon fines herbes (spice islands)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon parsley

Recipe

• 1 rinse and drain the fish; arrange skin side down and overlapping slightly in 9x12 or larger casserole if using more; heat oven to 400f; if using glass or nonstick, i don't bother to grease the pan.
• 2 melt the butter and margarine in small saucepan and pour over fish; the margarine dilutes the butter which causes burning easily but the butter imparts flavor.
• 3 rub the butter mixture over the top of the fish with your hands or spatula; with frozen filets (which must be fairly thin to cook right) the mixture will solidify; don't worry about it.
• 4 the spices and herbs will not adhere well without moisture or the butter mixture but too much isn't good for you now so i try to drain it off when i serve.
• 5 most spices have plastic sprinkling inserts with holes so i don't measure but sprinkle to taste trying to get the right balance; watch the parsley as sometimes it's easy to get too much; same goes for other spices you're not familiar with amounts, better too little than too much if you're not used to cooking with them.
• 6 sprinkle on the seasoned salt, paprika, onion powder, pepper blend, fines herbes, thyme and parsley last.
• 7 put in oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• 8 with a turkey baster or spoon, scoop up the butter and juices and drizzle back over the fish.
• 9 continue baking for 10 more minutes; it may be done or thicker pieces of fish take about another 5 or 10 minutes.
• 10 you can tell it's done when you pierce with a fork or sharp knife; it will be tender and flaky with clear juices (not always apparent).
• 11 remove from oven and baste one more time, may have to tilt the dish so it will all pool at an end.
• 12 serve while hot with a spatula, draining off the excess melted butter mixture; it's not good for us; you can substitute an oil and less of it and it should be essentially the same.
• 13 squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the fish at the table if desired (a must in the past for all fish but well everything is getting more expensive).