Snapper Recipes

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Red snapper w/Anchovies and Thyme

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons olive oil, plus a few dribbles from the anchovy oil
6 to 12 fillets of red snapper, redfish, or sea bream
1 clove minced garlic
2 anchovy fillets
leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

In a large non-stick skillet, pour in a little of the oil and heat to medium. Begin frying the fish, which doesn't take long at all. Do not over cook. Remove to plates and keep warm.

When all the fish has been cooked, add a tablespoon of the olive oil, plus a dribble of the anchovy oil and stir in the garlic and anchovy fillets. Stir with a wooden spoon as the oil warms. The garlic Will soften and the anchovies will melt into the oil. Add the thyme leaves and the sherry. After about a minute, remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce over the fish.


Chickpeas with chili, garlic, and thyme

Ingredients

18 ounces dried chickpeas
1 onion halved (don't bother to peel)
About 6 sprigs thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 red chili pepper
1 onion
2 fat cloves of garlic
leaves from 4-5 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Soak chickpeas in cold water for 24 hours. After soaking, drain, rinse and cover the chickpeas well with cold water in a large saucepan. Add the halved onion, thyme sprigs, and olive oil. Put on lid, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about an hour. Then add salt, cook longer, checking to see if they are soft. When they are finally cooked, remove about 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.

Drain the chickpeas and remove the bits of onion and thyme with tongs. Cooking the chickpeas can be done in advance and the chickpeas stored in a container in the fridge with some olive oil added to prevent them from drying out.

Roughly seed the chili pepper, peel the onion and chop it roughly. Place the chili, onion, and garlic in a food processor and puree to a pulp. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and pour the puree into it. Cook for around 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, turning to coat, add half of the chickpea broth and bring to a boil. Put on a lid and cook gently until the chickpeas are hot and soft, adding more liquid if necessary.

When done, add some extra olive oil to the finished chickpeas--to make them glossy. Sprinkle salt to taste and serve along with the fish.

Grilled Snapper on Spinach and Potato Rosti with a Red Wine Reduction Sauce

Ingredients

4 fairly large red snapper fillets

Sauce

1 1/4 cups red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 peeled carrot
1 peeled clove garlic
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1/2 tsp peppercorns
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 cup port wine

Rosti

4 medium potatoes, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce - put 1 1/4 cups of red wine and 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar in a saucepan and add 1 peeled carrot, 1 clove peeled garlic, 1/2 onion thinly sliced, 1/2 teaspoon pepercorns, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds and over a medium heat reduce by half, about 25 minutes. Meanwhle put a cup of port wine in another saucepan and reduce by half about 15 minutes. Strain first reduction into the second and set aside.
For the potato rosti - grate 4 medium potatoes, 1 carrot and 1/2 an onion in a bowl add 1/2 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, salt and freshly ground pepper and deep fry big spoonfulls in a pan until golden brown.
The snapper - generously season both sides with salt and pepper and cook in a little light oil over a high heat approx. 4 minutes each side until just cooked (depends a lot on thickness of fillet)
To assemble - put 2 rosti in the centre of the plate, add some lightly steamed spinach and the fish. Finish the sauce - bring to the boil then off the heat add 4 tablespoons butter and swirl until the butter is dissolved and the sauce becomes shiny. Pour around the food and garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Red Snapper Fillets w/ Balsamic Salad Greens

Ingredients

2 Red Snapper filets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
Dash white wine
1/2 of a lime, cut into two quarters
Fresh salad greens
Balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

Salt and pepper two Red Snapper filets. Dust pinches of garlic powder and Cajun seasoning over both sides.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add olive oil and white wine. Wait a few seconds for the oil and wine to warm before placing the red snapper filets in the middle of the pan. Squeeze the lime quarters over the fish and add the skins to the pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side until the fish is flaking and cooked through. Be sure not to overcook!

To serve, place mixed greens in center of plate, drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and top with a red snapper filet. Enjoy!

Red Snapper Veracruzano

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 minced cloves garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
4 (6 ounces each) skinless snapper fillets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos; cook 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and 3/4 cup water; cook until almost evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in olives and oregano.
Season snapper fillets with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium; nestle fish in sauce. Cover, and cook until fish is opaque, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.




Phyllo-wrapped Snapper with Fennel and Ricotta

Ingredients (serves 3)


1. 3 snapper fillets, washed and dry
3. 2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
4. 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
5. 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
6. 1 packet of filo pastry (12 sheets to make 3 parcels)
7. 1 tsp turmeric powder
8. 3 tablespoons butter , softened (approx you may need more)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 - 375 degrees F.
2. Saute fennel and carrot in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
3. Add turmeric powder, keep stirring until fennel and carrot soften. Set aside, and let it cool down.
4. Pan sear the fish fillet with some butter. Set aside, let it cool down.
5. Lay down 2 sheets of phyllo pastry, brush bit of butter in center. Then lay down another 2 sheets at right angles to make a cross.
6. Put the fish in the centre, top with few spoonful of fennel and carrot mix.
7. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta on top of the fish.
8. sprinkle some parsley on top.
9. brush the top and bottom edges of phyllo with more butter, fold inwards and seal the fish.
10. repeat no 9, with the left and right edges of the phyllo pastry and wrap the fish entirely.
11. Brush the phyllo parcel with more butter and lay it on a baking tray.
12. Put in the oven, and cook it for 20 min or until the pastry is golden brown.