Seared Lemon Pepper Tilapia With Creamy Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Creamy Pumpkin Seed Dressing
1/4 cup champagne vinegar (or other high-quality white wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 egg yolks, from pasteurized eggs
1 cup pumpkin seed oil or 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon ice water, if needed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted lightly in oven
Tilapia
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Progresso® lemon pepper panko crispy bread crumbs
6 tilapia fillets, 5 to 6 oz each
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
Salad
3 small head butter lettuce, washed and dried well, torn
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Preparation

In food processor, place the vinegar, mustard, shallot, thyme and pasteurized egg yolks. Cover; process until smooth. With the machine running, add the 1 cup pumpkin seed oil and then the 1 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the mixture gets too thick, add the 1 tablespoon ice water. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir in pumpkin seeds. Refrigerate while making tilapia.
Place the flour, 2 eggs and the bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes. Dip each fillet in flour then in eggs and finally, dredge on both sides in bread crumbs, shaking off the excess.
Heat 2 skillets over high heat. Divide 3 tablespoons olive oil evenly between skillets. When hot, add the fish; reduce heat to medium, and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Turn fish and cook on the second side until the fish is done throughout (test with a fork), about 4 minutes, depending on thickness.
Transfer the fish to 6 individual plates. Garnish with the lemon wedges. Toss the lettuce with a portion of the dressing; divide among plates of fish. Spoon some of the additional dressing over the fish; sprinkle pomegranate seeds over all, and enjoy.
Copyright 2010 Michael Chiarello. Recipe provided by Chef Michael Chiarello - June 2010.