Crab & Asparagus-Stuffed Tilapia

By davidv

"Crab makes this dish taste so rich and creamy, but don't be fooled—this stuffed tilapia is a perfect recipe to start the new year off in a healthy way!"—David

Tip: If your filets won't stay rolled, simply spear them with a toothpick to hold them in place while baking.

Ingredients

• Stuffing:
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup yellow pepper, finely diced
• 2 Tbsp shallot, minced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 lb thin asparagus, trimmed & sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 12 saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs
• 1 Tbsp chives, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 lb lump crab meat
• Fish:
• 4 (4-5-oz) tilapia filets
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare the stuffing, heat the oil in a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat. Add the red and yellow peppers, shallot, and the garlic. Sauté until the peppers begin to soften, about 5–8 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for an additional 2–3 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the heat and let cool.

Place the mixture into a bowl and add the cracker crumbs, chives, basil, parsley, Old Bay, salt, black pepper, and mayonnaise, mixing well. Gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not to break it up too much. Set the stuffing aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the tilapia filets flesh-side down on a work surface. Place 1/4 of the crab mixture onto the center of each filet.
Pour the white wine, lemon juice, and olive oil into an 8" x 8" baking pan. Roll each fish filet around the stuffing and place them, seam-side down, into the baking pan.

Sprinkle each filet with salt, pepper, and paprika, then cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Serve the fish with the cooking liquid.