Coconut Crusted Pangasius Fillet

I have to confess, I actually let out a loud moan when I finally put my camera down and took the first bite from that plate. THIS is one of the best pieces of fish I have ever had. And pangasius is now officially way high on my list of favorite fish. Probably in the top 5. I just love its firm yet tender flesh and its subtle flavor, which can be married to just about anything. It worked absolutely beautifully with hazelnuts, and even better with coconut. So don’t be surprised if you see it make a regular appearance on this blog!

I got the inspiration for tonight’s dish here.  However, I didn’t really follow the recipe. In fact, I more or less used yesterday’s chicken fingers’ breading, except I mixed all the ingredients together (i.e. 2 parts coconuts to half a part corn starch, pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper to taste) and I lightly coated my fish fillet after dredging it in egg white. I’d say I used 1/8 cup coconut mixture.

Then, for the mango salsa, well… first off, it calls for CILANTRO!!! Need I tell you I left that one out? I used flat parsley instead. And I didn’t have a red pepper… so I used a small thai pepper. In fact, my recipe went something like this:

• 1 mango, cut into small cubes
• the green part of a green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 thin slice red onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small red thai pepper, finely chopped
• the juice of not quite half a lime
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp liquid honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix all the ingredients together and let the flavors mingle while you make the fish.

All in all, this was an incredibly tasty dish, one that I would have over and over again and wouldn’t ever tire. Seriously. I came that close from shedding a tear. It was that good. I’ll definitely keep this one in mind for the summer. PERFECT summer dish.  Positively, absolutely!