Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia Panini

ms_bold's Note:

This is my own personal copycat recipe mimicking Johnny Carino's sandwich. Their menu description is "Fried fillet of tilapia with a garlic-jalapeño cream sauce, provolone cheese and sliced roma tomatoes." I think that I have accomplished this by using ideas from CoffeeMom's Super Easy Ritz Cracker Breading (Super Easy Ritz Cracker Breading) and ketchup's Garlic Cream Sauce (Garlic Cream Sauce for Chicken/Seafood/Pasta). (Thanks, guys!) We love this sandwich.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 1 cup Club crackers , finely crushed
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 egg , beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small jalapeno , finely diced
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 8 slices hearty country Italian bread
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 roma tomatoes , sliced thinly
• 8 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Fish:.
2. Crush crackers and combine with pepper.
3. Dip fish fillets into beaten egg, and then coat with cracker crumbs.
4. Fry in 350 degree oil until breading is golden and fish flakes easily.
5. Remove to an oven-proof plate in a warm oven.
6. Sauce:.
7. Melt butter on low heat. Add jalapeño and garlic. Sauté until jalapeño is softened, but be careful not to burn garlic.
8. Add flour and stir while heating about a minute.
9. Add chicken broth and cook stirring until sauce thickens. Stir in sour cream.
10. Set aside until ready to assemble the panini's.
11. Panini:.
12. Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil or spread with butter.
13. Assemble sandwiches with oiled/buttered side of bread to the outside, layering provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes, tilapia fillet, cream sauce and final slice of bread.
14. Spray a cast iron grill pan with cooking spray and heat to sizzling. Reduce heat to medium.
15. Place sandwich in grill pan and top with second cast iron skillet. Press down lightly. (You want to smush the sandwich lightly, but not squash it completely.).
16. Cook for 1-2 minutes, depending on the heat of your pan, until the sandwich is browned and grill marks are evident.
17. Flip sandwich and again top with second cast iron skillet. Cook for another minute or so, until fully browned.
18. Serve warm with fresh salad or crunchy kettle-cooked chips.

Reviews

[Vicki in CT]

I haven't tried the restaurant variety so can't compare to that. However, this was a good sandwich. The cracker crumb breading was a little heavy for the fish to me to have in a sandwich. To make again will just pan sear seasoned fish with no breading. The sauce, cheese, tomato combo really put this panini over the top.

[Chef #446271]

was perfect--as good as the restaurant version. :)

[Peg629]

Sounds great. Just a note for those who may not have 2 cast iron skillets, a brick well wrapped in foil will do the trick too in pressing down on the sammie.