Faux-stuffed Basa Fillets with Olives, Tomatoes, Lemons and Oranges

[js]
I don't know how familiar most people are with the fish "basa," but the fish called "basa" is a regular at our neighbourhood supermarkets. Even Safeway. Yes, that's Safeway.

"Basa" is a kind of catfish, Pangasius bocourti, native to Vietnam and the Mekong Delta.

I've read somewhere that the fast-running waters of the Mekong river gives the fish a firm but flaky, clean- and delicate-tasting, flesh. That is, basa, unlike other catfish and freshwater fish, does not have mud-tasting ("lasang lupa") flesh. But not having been to Vietnam, I can't really comment either way.

Prior to 2001, "basa" was sold as "catfish," but apparently catfish farmers in the US, worried about sales and wanting to protect catfish fisheries around the Mississippi Delta, protested against the labelling of "basa" as "catfish" and succeeded in blocking the use of the name "catfish" to apply to "basa."

But here's another twist to the tale of the basa. The "basa" being sold in North America might not even be true basa (Pangasius bocourti) but a related fish called tra, Pangasius hypophthalmus. A poorer cousin of sorts, with coarser and muddier-tasting flesh. Tra is sold sometimes sold as "China sole," "river cobbler," or even more confusingly, "basa catfish."

So this post might be more fittingly called Faux-stuffed Faux-Basa Fillets, because I think we have these river cobblers, not true basa.



[js]
In any case, these faux-basa are often sold as frozen, with 2 fillets to a pack. They are relatively inexpensive here, ranging from 2.99 to 4.99 a pound retail.

Faux-basa is what I would call serviceable fish, functioning well as generic whitefish. They're good breaded and fried: fish fingers, for example. They can take stronger flavours: they would particularly be good in curries, I expect. Vogue serves them with a black pepper sauce that works well.

Please find this link to an old but fascinating article about the trials and tribulations of basa and faux-basa.

Our mother just pan-fries these fillets and they're -- well -- serviceable, but sometimes -- and it is only sometimes -- they do have that slightly, ever-so-slight, mud-taste that need to be cooked out or masked in some way for me. (Hence the curry, black pepper sauce, and the frying suggested applications, all of which would effectively get rid of the ever-so-slight off flavour.)

Our mother also bought too much of the faux-basa fillets, so I was at a loss how to cook them. I didn't want to do any frying or a curry. I wanted to do something quick too, given that it was close to dinnertime.

No frying, no stovetop-cooking, so my only choice was to have the fish go into the oven, where I can just leave them there until done. I took a half cookie sheet and laid out the fish fillets. The half cookie sheet can only fit three and I had six fillets in total. I didn't want to have two cookie sheets going, because then I will be doubling my washing.



[js]
So I hit on the idea of just putting them on top of each other and doing a "stuffing" in between them.

I put some tomatoes and olives as the "spread" between the fish. I also put some slices of lemon and orange in between the two fillets, then topped the "stuffed fish" with more tomatoes, olives, and citrus slices. Salt and pepper, of course, and a little drizzle of olive oil.

I roasted these "stuffed fish" in the oven for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. I can't remember the exact time but roast until the fish is done.

They came out pretty well and looks so very Mediterranean.

Not bad for a fish from the Mekong Delta, eh?



[ts]
P.S. I loved this dish! Those olives were perfect for this. And oh, I don't mind the taste of these basa (or whatever-it-is-fish) at all. Among everybody in the family, only JS has an aversion to it, I think.

We're submitting this to the I LOVE BAKING event crated by Ben of What's Cooking.

I LOVE BAKING information

Basa information on Wikipedia

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Stuffed recipes:
Mediterranean Stuffed Leg of Lamb
Stuffed Peppers (Lamb and Rice)
Stuffed Squid (braised in tomato sauce)
Faux=stuffed Basa Fillets with Olives, Tomatoes, Lemons and Oranges
Stuffed Giant Squid, Two Ways
Stuffed Savoy Cabbage with Pork