That was then. Today tilapia is found at restaurants and diners, upscale and no-frills, in all sorts of variations. Tilapia with an elegant sauce, served with al dente vegetables at one end of the spectrum; fried tilapia sandwich with a swipe of tartar sauce at the other.
What's special about this increasingly popular fish? Scott Berg, corporate chef and general manager of Five Star Event Catering, thinks that tilapia has a lot going for it.
First, it is economically priced, so it can be served at events such as races at Barber Motor Sports Park.
Berg, whose company provides all catering for the state-of-the-art sports park as well as for events of all sizes throughout the area and the Southeast, says that on race days he prepares an herb-garlic six-ounce baked tilapia, accompanied by Five Star chips and tartar and cocktail sauces. The reasonable cost of the fish makes it possible to provide meals for $7.50 a person.
Tilapia is versatile. Berg says no fish absorbs flavors of seasonings better than tilapia, "almost like a sponge. You can lightly season it and it has great flavor."
Because of its versatility, tilapia can be eaten more than once a week because flavors can totally change the personality of the fish.
Source: Al.com
Terrific tilapia
US - It wasn't too many years ago when tilapia made a quiet move into local restaurants. No fanfare. It just simply began appearing as an entree suggestion in the fish-seafood listings.