Whole Red Snapper In Szechuan Hot Sauce Recipes

WHOLE RED SNAPPER IN SZECHUAN HOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Rub the fish with soy sauce and dry wine mixture.
• Let the fish fillets marinated in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large skillet, saute the fish fillets for about 3 minutes on each side.
• Remove the fillets, add garlic, green onion, ginger, chili bean sauce, tomato paste, sugar, vinegar and water.
• Bring the mixture to a boil before adding the fish fillets back to the skillet.
• Braise the fish in the sauce for about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Mix the cornstarch with 2 tsp of water, stir in the sauce and cook for another minute.
• Sprinkle with sesame oil (optional) and serve immediately with steamed rice and your favorite steamed vegetables.

BAKED WHOLE RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Clean red snapper inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Brush grapeseed oil all over the inside and outside of the fish, and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning on all sides. Insert garlic cloves, citrus slices, and thyme sprigs into the cavity of the fish. Set on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes, depending on size of the fish.

STEAMED WHOLE RED SNAPPER WITH ASIAN FLAVORS

Steps:

• Sprinkle inside of each fish with salt. Using sharp cleaver or knife, make 4 diagonal slits on 1 side of each fish, spacing equally and cutting to the bone. Insert 1 slice of ginger, 1 slice of garlic and 1 cilantro leaf into each slit. Turn fish over. Make 4 diagonal slits on second side of each fish and insert remaining sliced ginger, sliced garlic and cilantro leaves. Arrange fish in 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; refrigerate).
• Place a slice of ginger and garlic, then a whole cilantro leaf in each slit; they will add flavor to the fish during the steaming process. Hold back the flaps to insert the seasonings more easily.
• Pour enough water into wok or large pot to reach depth of 1 1/2 inches. Place bottom of 11- to 12-inch-diameter bamboo steamer over water in wok or open a steamer rack and place in pot. Place dish with fish in bamboo steamer (or on steamer rack). Curl tails if necessary to fit.
• The classic Chinese way to cook the fish is in a tiered bamboo steamer set over boiling water in a wok. Pour water to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into the wok.
• If you don't have a bamboo steamer or a wok, you can use a vegetable steamer rack set in a large pot. The pot should be large enough to allow steam to circulate around the glass pie dish that holds the fish.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon each of chopped cilantro, shallots, lemongrass and green onions into dish around fish. Combine broth and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in cup and pour into dish. Bring water to boil. Cover bamboo steamer (or pot). Steam fish until just opaque in center at bone, about 18 minutes.
• Before steaming, surround the fish with chopped shallots, lemongrass, green onions, and cilantro. Then pour a broth and soy sauce mixture into the dish to flavor the fish as it cooks.
• Meanwhile, combine sesame oil and vegetable oil in heavy medium skillet. Add chopped ginger and chopped garlic, then 2 tablespoons each of chopped cilantro, shallots, lemongrass and green onions. Stir over medium heat until oil is hot and seasonings are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour seasoned oil into small bowl; add remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
• Using oven mitts as aid, transfer dish with fish to work surface. Using large spatula, transfer fish to platter. Spoon juices from dish over fish. Spoon some of seasoned oil over fish. Serve fish with rice; pass remaining seasoned oil.
• You may have to special-order whole fish from the supermarket or fish market.
• ** Available at Southeast Asian markets and in the produce section of some supermarkets.

CRISPY RED SNAPPER "CHINESE STYLE"

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Put the soy sauce, fish sauce, plum wine, sugar, garlic, jalapeno, ginger, lemongrass, and water in a bowl and stir together; set aside.
• While you make the vegetables, pour enough oil to submerge the snapper into a wide, deep, heavy-bottomed pot. You will need at least a quart, depending on the width of the pot and the thickness of the fish. Heat the pot over medium-high heat to 370 degrees F.
• Make the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced ginger and sausage and cook until the sausage begins to give off its fat, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to give off their liquid, adding more oil if necessary. Add the tomatoes, scallions, carrot, leek, and chile, and cook until just soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and keep the vegetables warm.
• Fry the fish: Score the snapper 4 times from top to belly, starting about 3 inches behind the head and making the last slash about 2 inches from the tail; take care not to cut into the flesh. When the oil is almost hot enough, dredge the snapper in the flour, shaking off any excess. Skewer the fish from head to tail with a metal skewer, curving the fish as needed. Slowly carefully add the fish to the pot and fry until cooked through and moist at the bone on the head end, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• To serve: Spread some sauce onto a fish platter and place the fish on top; spoon the vegetables over the fish. Present at the table, cutting individual portions there, and garnishing with pea sprouts. Serve the extra sauce on the side.

FRIED WHOLE RED SNAPPER WITH SPICY CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the fish sauce, water, chile garlic sauce, the lime juice, and sugar together in a small pan and bring to a boil.
• Fill a large heavy saute pan with 1-inch of oil and heat for 5 minutes until hot, but not smoking.
• Make 2 diagonal cuts on each side of the fish for ease of cooking. Salt, pepper, and flour both sides of the fish. Fish should be dry, as to not splatter oil when frying. Lower fish into oil, the oil should bubble vigorously. Cook 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Check cuts on fish for doneness.
• When fish is almost cooked, heat up sauce and stir in cornstarch mixture while sauce is boiling. Sauce should be slightly thick, but not lumpy. Remove fish from oil and slightly dry with paper towels. Add scallions to the sauce and pour over fish to cover. Serve with steamed rice.