Favorite Recipe-Fried Tilapia

I'm a huge food buff, so it's about time that I tell you some of my favorite recipes.  And it's still on target with this blog, because food and exercise go together like yin and yang.  You need to eat certain foods to prepare you for and recover from big workouts; elite athletes actually tailor each meal according to the surrounding activity.

Most diet advice I've read from endurance coaches recommends that American's eat more fish; fish is a low fat source of protein that has specific vitamins and minerals that help keep the athlete's body running smoothly.  But fish can be expensive, and depending on where you live, it can be difficult to get it fresh. (I live in Utah, a thousand miles away from the nearest ocean, so good seafood is especially hard to for me to come by.)  So lately I've become a believer in frozen fish, specifically, Tilapia.  They must get really good quality fish, because the flavor on these is fantastic.  You can buy them in large bags, with each fillet individually vacuum sealed.  This makes preparation a cinch: just throw the fillet in a large bowl of warm water, and in 5 minutes it is defrosted and ready to cook.  My favorite recipe follows:

1. Remove Tilapia from package and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Dredge fish in egg, then Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.
3. Fry in vegetable oil over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
4. Serve with lemon juice and tartar sauce.

I first tried this with flour, but the Panko gives it a flaky, crispy texture that is incredible.  Because the bread crumbs are Japanese, lately I've thought that some kind of oriental sauce would be better than the European tartar, but I haven't tried anything yet.  I'm thinking tempura sauce, or something with miso.  If anyone out there is a pro with Japanese cooking and has a good idea, feel free to add a suggestion in a comment to this post.