Sauteed Tilapia with Mustard Chive Sauce

Some time back, I posted a recipe Pan Fried Tilapia with Caper Butter.  I've made it many times, but on this occasion, I wanted something a little spicier and ran across a recipe on the Food Network website from the most jiggling cook on television, Giada De Laurentiis.  She broiled her fish, however, and I think my pan frying technique with soy flour was a better way to go.  It certainly added to the sauce, which is made à la minute after the fish has been fried. Giada also used honey; since I limit refined carbs and sugars from my diet (and honey is a simple sugar), I used 1/2 packet of Splenda.  This dish went very well with some Basmati rice that had been prepared with some finely diced red bell pepper and parsley.

Ingredients
For the Tilapia
4 Tilapia fillets, about a pound
½ stick butter
3 tbsp peanut oil
1 cup soy flour (you can also use regular flour)
½ tbsp paprika
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp garlic powder
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tbsp onion powder
½ tbsp cayenne pepper
½ tbsp dried oregano
½ tbsp dried thyme

Ingredients
For the Sauce
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 pack Splenda
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp fresh or dried chives
salt & pepper to taste

The Recipe
Season the flour with the paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme.  Stir it well in a dry mixing bowl to ensure even incorporation of the seasonings.  Your fish fillets need to be a little damp, but not wringing wet.

Put the flour mixture on a paper plate and press the fish one side at a time into the mixture, ensuring each part of the fillet is evenly coated.  Allow the fish to rest a minute on another paper plate, but do not stack them.

Place ½ stick butter and the peanut oil in a cast iron skillet and heat to the smoking point. Place the fish fillets into the oil. Cook until browned 4-5 minutes, carefully turn, and cook another 3-4 minutes. Remove to paper towels while you finish the sauce.

De-glaze the pan with the lemon juice, scraping up all the browned bits, and then add the cream and mustard.  Test for seasoning with salt and pepper and add a bit of Splenda to sweeten the sauce a little to your liking.  Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the sauce slightly until it coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly.  Finish with the chives.  Serve on top of the fish fillets or on the side as you prefer.