Book Eight: Fruit Cookbook by Nicole Routhier

Recipe: Spiced-Rubbed Red Snapper

What an easy, tasty and elegant meal! This is company worthy for sure, and you will not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

When I decided to make this recipe, I just gave the ingredient list a quick glance and jotted down what I needed from the grocery store. Had I read it more thoroughly and noticed it took a whole stick of butter, I would not have eaten that chocolate cake after my workout this morning!

How could this dish not be wonderful when the sauce consists of only butter and reduced tangerine juice!! I'm seriously considering serving this sauce over roasted asparagus at the next Oscar party. It is that good!

Success meter (1-3): 3

 

     

SPICED-RUBBED RED SNAPPER

Serves: 4

Barbecue Spice Mix

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander Seeds

1 tablespoon (firmly packed) light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated tangerine zest

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tangerine Butter Sauce

1 cup fresh tangerine juice

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Salt

4 red snapper or sea bass fillets (6oz each), skin on

2 tablespoons mild olive oil

1.       To make the spice mix, place the cumin & coriander seeds in a small dry skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, until the seeds are lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let Cool. Place the toasted seeds and the remaining ingredients for the spice mix in a spice grinder and blend to a fine powder.

2.       To make the sauce, place the tangerine juice in a medium –size saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking until the juice becomes syrupy and reduced to about ¼ cup, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, 1 piece at a time, until it is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy. Season to taste with salt. (At this point, the sauce may be covered and left at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving.)

3.       Ten minutes before serving, use a sharp knife to lightly score the skin of each fillet to prevent curling during cooking. Rub the fillets on both sides with the barbecue spice mix and set aside.

4.       In a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until smoking. Carefully add the fillets, skin side down. To prevent the fillets from warping, keep them flat with a wide metal spatula during the first minute of cooking. Cook until the skin is well charred, about 2 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook until the flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow the fillets to sit for about 2 minutes longer before serving.

5.       Divide the tangerine sauce among warmed dinner plates and top with the fish fillets. Serve at once.