Chili Lime Fish Fry

I have a freezer full of tilapia from a stock-up sale, and although I've had issues with this fish in the past, I'm now finding all kinds of great recipes to use it in, and this one was particularly good. The coating was super crispy and flavorful - make sure to top with some extra lime! We enjoyed it with some sweet potato fries and chipotle mayo for dipping.

Chili Lime Fish Fry
from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons chili powder, a couple of palmfuls
2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2/3 palmful
2 teaspoons onion powder, 2/3 palmful
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
1/4 cup vegetable, canola or safflower oil

Directions

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange 3 shallow dishes. Put the flour in 1 dish and add the eggs to the second dish. Combine the bread crumbs in the third dish and season with 1tablespoon of lime zest, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, the garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Coat the fish in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs.

Heat the oil, about 1/4 cup, in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If your pan is not large enough to fry 4 fillets, in a single layer, heat the oven to 275 degrees F and put a cooling rack on a baking sheet. As you fry the fish, transfer them to the rack in the oven to keep warm. Fry the fish until deeply golden and crispy and transfer to a serving platter. Season with a little extra salt, top with lots of lime juice and serve.