Seared Red Snapper With Sicilian Cauliflower Parsley Salad Recipes

SEARED RED SNAPPER WITH SICILIAN CAULIFLOWER & PARSLEY SALAD

Steps:

• Coat a large saucepan with olive oil, add the onions, and bring to medium heat. Add a generous pinch of salt and the red pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup water; season with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil (BTB), reduce to a simmer (RTS), and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste it and make sure it's delicious.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt; it should taste like the ocean. Add the cauliflower, let the water come back to a rolling boil, and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until it's really soft and almost falling apart.
• Strain the cauliflower and add it to the tomato mixture. Cook everything for 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the cauliflower has completely broken up and the sauce clings to it. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Stir in the lemon zest, olives, and caperberries; remove from the heat and reserve. (This can all totally be done ahead of time, and while it's really great when made to order, this dish actually gets better when made ahead.)
• FOR THE FISH AND SALAD
• Take the fish out of the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before you're ready to cook. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt.
• Coat a large sauté pan generously with olive oil and bring it to high heat, almost smoking. Coat the UNDERNEATH of another smaller sauté pan with olive oil. Place the fish fillets skin side down in the larger sauté pan and gently place the other sauté pan directly on top of the fish. The purpose of this is to gently press the skin of the fish onto the bottom of the larger pan to create a lovely, even, crispy skin. (The first thing fish skin wants to do is stick to the pan, and the first thing cooks want to do is move it. Resist the urge; it will unstick itself when it's ready. This is where patience comes in-if you try to move it before it's ready, the fish skin will win every time.)
• After a couple minutes, remove the top sauté pan to allow the steam to escape and the skin to get really crispy. As the fish cooks it turns from translucent to opaque-the idea is to cook the fish two-thirds of the way on the skin side and then flip it over for the last third of the cooking time. The rule for fish is 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness, a little less if you like your fish on the rare side.
• Reheat the cauliflower mixture if necessary. In a medium bowl, toss the parsley with the lemon juice, some salt, and a drizzle of finishing oil. Serve the fish nestled in a mound of the cauliflower and garnish with the parsley salad.
• IS YOUR FISH FRESH? Perform the Necessary Freshness Checks
• Some of these rules apply only to whole fish, but if you're buying fillets, the smell and the impression tests still work. Whether it's whole or a fillet, you want a piece of fish that looks healthy and fresh!
• Smell it. If it smells like what it is, you don't want it. Fish should smell like the ocean or nothing at all.
• Make an impression. Gently press with your finger somewhere on the body of the fish; if it springs back, it's perfect. If you leave an impression, leave that fish alone.
• The eyes should be clear and bulging. If the eyes are sunken and cloudy, leave it at the store.
• The gills should be red and moist. If they're beige and slimy-ick, yuck, gross.
• The fins and tail should be moist and pliable. If they're dry and brittle, walk away.

CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH CAPERS, PARSLEY AND VINEGAR

Steps:

• Place the cauliflower in a steaming basket over one inch of boiling water; cover and steam one minute. Lift the lid for 15 seconds, then cover again and steam for six to eight minutes until tender. Refresh with cold water, then drain on paper towels.
• In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, parsley, capers, vinegar and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss together. Marinate, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes if possible before serving. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

PAN-SEARED RED SNAPPER WITH LEMON- ZEST BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Grate the zest from 1 of the lemons, carefully avoiding the pith. Set aside.
• Using a paring knife, remove the peel in long strips from the second lemon, scraping off any pith. Cut the peel into a fine julienne. Bring a small saucepan half full of water to a boil and add the strips. Boil 1 minute. Drain and rinse the strips under cold water. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• In a small heavy saucepan, simmer the lemon juice, orange juice, shallot, peppercorns and grated zest, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the pan and set it over very low heat.
• Whisk chunks of cold butter into the sauce one at a time, whisking continuously. When all the butter has been incorporated, immediately remove the pan from the heat. (The sauce will separate if it becomes too hot.) Transfer the sauce to a small thermos or to a glass cup set inside a bowl of very warm water.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil. Add salt and pepper to snapper fillets taste. Place the snapper fillets in the pan and cook, turning once, until they are lightly browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fillets to 4 warm plates. Coat with the sauce, garnish with parsley and lemon-zest strips and serve.

PAN SEARED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Rinse snapper under cold water, and pat dry. In a shallow bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, mustard, honey, green onions, and ginger.
• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip snapper fillets in marinade to coat both sides, and place in skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Pour remaining marinade into skillet. Reduce heat, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.