BBQ Tilapia Nuggets

This recipe is a version of something that I ate in a fancy restaurant in Brooklyn. I thought the idea of making these fish nuggets look and taste like great BBQ was ingenious. I tried a few times to get this recipe just right and it now has become a classic dinner at my house.

 6 large pieces of already breaded fish or flounder or tilapia, cut into bite size nuggets

¾ cup apricot preserves or jelly

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ginger powder

1 tbsp. white vinegar

Pinch of red chili pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large frying pan , sprayed well with non stick spray and  lay as many pieces of the tilapia nuggets that you can side by side with out overlapping them in pan.  Pan sear each piece about 2 minutes on each side, until breading is crispy brown.  Repeat as necessary to all pieces have been browned and place into an oven safe 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a small mixing bowl, blend together the apricot preserves, ketchup, teriyaki, garlic, vinegar, ginger and chili pepper. Pour the apricot mixture over the semi-fried fish and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The fish is ready when the coating has reduced and thickened over fish, making them sticky looking. Serve with white rice and steamed broccoli.

Recipe from “The At Home Gourmet” by Sarah M. Lasry