Pine Nut Crusted Tilapia

The other half and I were in Napa a couple of weeks ago celebrating another year of putting up with each other. We drank our way through the valley (with hired driver, thank you very much) and bought a bottle or two along the way. So, as the shipments start to arrive, storage has become an issue. We have a wine refrigerator that we use as our "cellar"--putting the more expensive (and for us that's like $30) bottles in there.

Problem is, we have too much of the "expensive" wine for too little storage. A couple of solutions present themselves. Get another wine fridge? Nah...not enough room. Drink some of the bottles already in there? You betcha!

Quite a few of the good bottles have come from the wine club I am in that Andrea Immer organizes. Wonderful wines from around the world that are always accompanied by informative tasting notes and delicious recipes to pair with the wines. That's the plan...several nights of great food and sumptuous wines.

Last night's bottle was a Napa Chardonnay...the 2005 Kuleto Estate Family Vineyards from Napa Valley. (On the list for the next Napa trip.) It was delicious. Not over-oaked, but full of balanced and concentrated complexity. It was the perfect foil to this really simple recipe. If you don't have a bottle of the Kuleto on hand, grab another Chardonnay...or even a smoky Sauvignon Blanc like Chateau St. Jean.

Pine Nut Crusted Tilapia
Serves four.

4 tilapia fillets (app. 6 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season tilapia with salt and pepper.

Toast the pine nuts in the skillet, tossing frequently, until evenly browned, about five minutes. (Watch them carefully and make sure they don't burn.) Remove from the heat and finely chop.

Toss the chopped pine nuts with the Panko and pour mixture onto a plate. Dip the fillets in the mixture and coat evenly.


Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet until hot. Add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the fillets in a single layer. Cook until the first side is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the fillets and continue cooking until the other side is browned and the fillets are cooked through, about 4-6 minutes.


Remove the fillets and set aside, keeping them warm.


Add the wine to the skillet and cook, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits and allowing the wine to reduce a bit.


Drizzle the wine reduction over the fillets and serve.