Culinary Confessional

Greek-Style Snapper Four 6 oz grouper fillets 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, sliced thin 3 cloves garlic, minced 6 oz tomato paste 1/2 cup white wine 1/3 cup chicken stock 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped 3 tbsp parsley, chopped In a large pan, saute the snapper fillets in the oil over high heat for 5 minutes until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside. Lower heat to medium and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender.  Add the tomato paste, wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Return the fillets to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Place fillets on a serving platter, then sprinkle with the feta, walnuts, and parsley.  Serve immediately.  Approximate Nutritional Values: http://greek.food.com/recipe/psari-plaki-greek-red-snapper-10559

Moroccan Snapper en Papillote 1/2 of one red pepper--stemmed, seeded, and sliced into thin strips 1/2 of one yellow pepper--stemmed, seeded, and sliced into thin strips  6 black olives, pitted 1 scallion, sliced thin, diagonally  1 tsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tsp parsley, minced 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 2 red snapper fillets (6 oz each) 1 lemon, sliced thin Preheat oven to 450-deg. Combine the pepper, olives, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and herbs in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Cut two piece of parchment paper to 12" x 8" each.  Fold the paper in half lengthwise, then place a snapper fillet on one side of the fold.  Then repeat with the other fillet. Spoon the pepper mixture evenly over the fish, then top with the lemon slices. Fold the other side of the paper over the fish and seal by tucking the ends underneath each other, forming an envelope. Place the parchment paper envelopes on a cookie tray and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Then transfer to serving plates and enjoy! Approximate Nutritional Values:  http://www.food.com/recipe/moroccan-red-snapper-with-cumin-seeds-137685

Crispy Red Snapper with Chili Tamarind Sauce Serves 2

Ingredients:

Chili Tamarind Sauce 2 tablespoons shallots, minced 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 2-3 Thai chili peppers, finely minced (more or less depending on heat preference) 1/3 cup tamarind juice concentrate 2 tablespoons palm sugar 3 tablespoons fish sauce ¼ cup water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Fish 1 (2 pound) whole red snapper, head-on and thoroughly cleaned Vegetable oil (for frying) ½ cup red bell pepper, julienned 2 scallions, diced 1 cup fresh cilantro

In a sauce pan, heat the vegetable oil and sauté the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add in the chili peppers and cook for an additional minute. Add the tamarind juice concentrate, palm sugar, fish sauce and water. Continue cooking over medium-low heat while stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat and gently simmer until the sauce has thickened. Taste the sauce and adjust with the desired level of sweetness or heat by adding more chili peppers, palm sugar or tamarind juice concentrate.

While the sauce is reducing, rinse the fish with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Score both sides of the fish about every 1½ inches. Fill a heavy bottom pot or wok with oil deep enough to submerge your fish. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F and carefully slide the fish into the oil. Fry the fish until golden brown—about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the fish from the oil and drain on a cooling rack that has been placed on top of a sheet pan. Allow to drain for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a serving dish.

Cover the crispy fish with scallions, red bell pepper and drizzle the sauce all over the top. Add the fresh cilantro and serve immediately with steamed rice.