Cooking Party # 2: Talapia with Hash Browns

I seriously love Food Network Magazine lately. I've been getting the magazine for 6 months now, checking out recipe after recipe and just wasn't inspired enough to actually try one. After making FN's ever so delicious Bow-tie Pasta with Broccoli and Potatoes, I knew I was hooked. In the same section as the pasta recipe, I found an interesting recipe for Talapia with Hash Browns. I really enjoy fish and absolutely LOVE potatoes so I figured this would be great. And it definitely was.


I spent last weekend hanging out with friends in the city, and was reminded that all summer long I wanted to have everyone over for a BBQ. It wasn't quite the weather for it, so I had a fish fry instead. Becky and Lauren came over just in time to help me prep for the meal. (Well, Lauren came just in time to help me bake cupcakes too, but that will be in the next post.)

My girls were a huge help with the slicing and chopping of vegetables, as I fried and prepared the potatoes and fish. The end result.. a meal made in perfect harmony! We loved how well the vegetables married with the fish and potatoes.

Recipe:
1 12oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (I bought cubed hash instead)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed then thinly sliced
kosher salt
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives, roughly chopped
3/4 pound tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
3 scallions, white and green parts only, chopped1 1/2 lbs skinless talapia filets
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Toss hash browns with the garlic and 1 tsp salt in bowl. Heat 2 tbps of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the hash browns, flatten with spatula and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Flip the potato cake and pat it back into shape. Cook and crisp until, another 6 to 8 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, mix the olives, tomatoes, roasted peppers, scallions and parsley in a bowl. Cut the fish into 12 pieces and season with the dried herbs, salt and pepper.
4) Scatter half of the olive mixture over the potato cake and top with the fish. Scatter the remaining olive mixture on top and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Serve directly from skillet.