Tilapia

Can anyone tell me where I can buy some? Or what fish would make a good inexpensive substitute?

I'm thinking of trying out this recipe: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/02/easy-pan-fried-fish-tacos-with-white-sauce-recipe.html

Asian food stores.  Are there any in your area?  If not, sea bass would be a good substitute.  That looks really tasty!

Asian food stores.  Are there any in your area?  If not, sea bass would be a good substitute.  That looks really tasty!

I wish I did. If there was one around me, I'd also be able to buy Panko breadcrumbs which would probably go much nicer than regular ones with this recipe since they are so much lighter.

Googling about suggests these substitutions:  catfish, sole, flounder, orange roughy, red snapper, plaice, or any white or cream colored fish that is delicate or slightly firm.

If you are in London, Japan Center should not be too far from you.  It's just right outside of Piccadilly.  They have panko (though I swear I saw some at waitrose or Sainsbury the other day)

As for Tilapia,
I think WingYip sells like a bag of Tilapia (6 filets) for like £3-4 if not less.

I have never had a piece of Tilapia I liked and I've tried it a number of ways both at home and in resturants. 

I did however try River Cobbler and it was pretty good and about the same texture.  I got it in th eUK.

What about cod? Would it be too heavy to make a good sub?

I find the cod flesh to cook up harder than that of the tilapia but I think it would still work if you dont' like tilapia.  My sister wn't touch it because she finds it taste gritty.  She wont touch catfish either.

Tilapia is typically farmed and is unusual in that it is a vegetarian fish (excellent for people worried about sustainable farming practices!).  It has very little flavor on it's own, however, which makes it a good choice for highly seasoned dishes like tacos, where it basically acts as a protein carrier of flavors.  This makes it a pretty inexpensive (relatively speaking) choice at the fish counter.

Specifically for fish tacos I've had both cod and salmon.  Salmon wouldn't be a good choice for this particular recipe because it is already quite naturally oily.  Thin cod fillets would be a good option, as would thin sliced haddock, plaice, flounder or other flaky, smaller white fish. Orange roughy would be too dense, as would chilean sea bass (and both are quite a bit more expensive and not the best environmentally-conscious choices to make)  I think that catfish would be too oily too... Trout and sea basses might also be a bit oily for frying, but it would depend on the particular species

In short, my recommendation is to ask your fishmonger for an inexpensive flaky, non-oily, white fish for suitable for frying.

I had to google to know what this is, and I'd suggest sole.

Vicky

I'd suggest sole or flounder. They're the closest, texture-wise. Sea bass and orange roughy are delicious but over-fished, so I try to avoid them.

Thank you all very much for your suggestions!

Just one followup question: I've cooked sole before and while it's delicious, it's really flaky and tender. I'm afraid, because it doesn't keep together very well, I'll make a hash of it when I fry it. Would flounder be easier to work with, or about the same?

How funny you posted about tilapia yesterday - when we went for our curry out yesterday evening at Aagrah, one of the Leeds' restaurant specials was a tilapia dish.  DH ordered it & it was delicious!  (I had lamb masala, but I wished I'd ordered what he got because it was really gorgeous.)

If you are in London, Japan Center should not be too far from you.  It's just right outside of Piccadilly.  They have panko (though I swear I saw some at waitrose or Sainsbury the other day)

You have seen them at Sainsburys, I know I have.