Photo: ilmungo, Flickr
Nothing on this plate is intensely complicated to make, yet everything has wonderfully layered and nuanced flavors. Soy-maple glaze gives a salty-sweet boost to mild tilapia, and a side of udon noodles keep the Asian riff going, especially when tossed with a spicy yuzu dressing. (Yuzu is a tangy, aromatic Japanese citrus fruit; you don't often see it fresh here in the U.S., but you can buy the bottled juice in Asian markets and some health food stores.)
The author used a recipe from Gourmet as his creative springboard but didn't worry about following the instructions to the letter. We encourage you to follow his lead whenever you encounter an interesting recipe: Play with flavor combinations, swap out ingredients, change the cooking method, experiment and explore. Make it your own.
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