Recipe: Will Allen's Crispy Fried Tilapia

WILL ALLEN'S CRISPY FRIED TILAPIA

Serves 2.

Note: This is the fish Will Allen cooks in the film "Fresh." The recipe yields a sweet, moist fish that needs no more than a squirt of fresh lemon juice when it's served. He fries it with the heads on (but, that's up to you). It's great served with cornbread and a salad.

• 2 small tilapia or perch, each a pound or less, gilled, gutted and scaled

• 1/2 c. canola oil, or more as needed

• Flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper

• 1/2 c. milk beaten with 1 egg

Rinse and dry the fish. Pour the oil into a deep skillet so that it is about 2 inches deep, and heat over high until shimmering, about 3 to 4 minutes. Dredge the fish in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the milk and egg mixture. Dredge it in the flour again.

Place the fish in the pan and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side. Cook in batches if necessary, adding more oil to the pan if you need it. The fish is done when the flesh offers little or no resistance to a knife. If in doubt, peek next to the bone, where the flesh should be opaque.

Remove the fish from the pan and drain quickly on brown bags or paper towels and serve immediately.

DREAM OF WILD HEALTH CORN BREAD

Makes 9 pieces.

• 1 c. cornmeal

• 3/4 c. flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 c. sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 c. fresh corn kernels, optional

• 1/4 c. diced chiles, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch-square baking dish. Combine the dry cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.