In my experience, no one can resist these. Mr. Trent’s brother, who doesn’t eat seafood, scarfs these down like there’s no tomorrow. Note: you’ll need to turn the vent fan on high or your digs will smell like fried fish for 2 days. Even so, totally worth it.

The How-To

Pat dry tilapia filets, and cut them into halves or thirds. Whisk together Old Bay, flour, salt and pepper in baking dish or low-sided bowl. Heat 1-2 T oil in skillet on high until hot (your oil should smoke a bit). Turn vent fan on high.

In batches, dredge fish pieces in flour mixture until completely coated and place into oil in the skillet until ALMOST burned or until coating on fish is very dark. Flip fish and repeat for all sides. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your peices, so keep an eye on it. Remove from skillet and sprinkle with a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with skillet-warmed white corn tortillas, shredded red cabbage, queso fresco, cilantro and avocado cream sauce.

Avocado Cream Sauce

In a food processor or blender, puree flesh from 1 large avocado, 1/2 cup sour cream, the juice of 1 lime, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Adjust ingredients to taste. If it seems too thick, blend in a teaspoon of water at a time to reach desired consistency.