Cornmeal Crusted Snapper With Spinach Pepper Jack Grits And Bacon Bourbon Cream Sauce Food

CORNMEAL SNAPPER WITH CHOW CHOW AND SMOKY HABANERO AIOLI

Steps:

• For the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place cloves in a small oven-safe dish. Cover with oil and then foil. Roast 45 minutes.
• For the chow chow: Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium heat.
• Grill the corn in the husks, then shuck and cut the kernels from the cobs. In a medium bowl combine corn, Tomatoes and bell peppers. In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, granulated sugar, salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, pepper, lemon juice and zest and 2 1/2 ounces water. Add to vegetable mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the habanero hot sauce: Combine habaneros, granulated sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and just enough water to cover in a small pot. Cover and cook on medium heat until peppers are tender and liquid is almost gone. Remove and let cool. Blend until smooth.
• For the smoky habanero aioli: Combine eggs, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar and 2 tablespoons roasted garlic together in a tall container or wide mouth jar. Using a stick blender, slowly add oil until combined. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons habanero hot sauce.
• For the cornmeal snapper: Combine cornmeal, cornstarch, paprika, granulated garlic and onion, oregano, salt, pepper and 2 cups flour in a medium bowl and mix well.
• Set up standard breading station: A dish with the remaining 2 cups flour, a dish with egg wash, and the cornmeal mixture.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or in a Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer to 350 degrees F.
• Coat snapper in flour, then egg, then cornmeal. Fry snapper until golden in color and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
• To serve, spoon aioli on the plate and place snapper directly on top. Serve chow chow on the side.
• Combine green tomatoes, cider vinegar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, white vinegar, salt, mustard seeds, pepper and 2 1/4 cups water.

FRIED SNAPPER WITH CREOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium until shimmering. Add the onions, red and green bell peppers and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and just starting to brown, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, thyme and 1 3/4 cups water; bring to a boil over high.
• Stir in the white vinegar and seasoning salt, reduce the temperature to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, prepare the fish: Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium. On a large plate, mix the flour and seasoning salt with a fork.
• Pat the snapper fillets dry using paper towels, and season 2 fillets with salt and pepper before dipping them into the flour mixture until coated on both sides.
• Once the oil is shimmering, gently lay the floured fillets in the hot oil, skin-side down, and cook until skin is crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a fish spatula, carefully flip fillets and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through.
• Transfer the fish to a large paper-towel-lined plate. Cover loosely with foil and repeat with the remaining fillets.
• Divide fish among plates, skin side up, and top with the Creole sauce. Serve immediately, passing hot sauce at the table.

CORNMEAL BREADED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Rinse fillets under cold cold water. Lay on plate & pat dry with paper towels.
• Remove 3 shallow bowls from cupboard (here's where the messy bit starts).
• In one of the bowls, mix together flour, paprika and lemon pepper. Fluff together with fork.
• In another bowl stir together the 2 eggs until frothy.
• In the 3rd bowl mix the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil and pepper.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Dip each fillet first into the flour mixture. Coat evenly on both sides, then dip into the egg mixture, then the breadcrumb/cornmeal mixture.
• When oil is hot lay the filets gently in the pan. Do not crowd.
• Cook fillets until golden brown on both sides. I do mine in a Texas skillet. (large frypan), but if you have to do it in two batches, you can keep them warm for awhile in a 230°F oven on a plate lined with paper towel.
• Serve with a little tartar sauce, seafood sauce or brown butter.
• Enjoy!

CORNMEAL AND FLAX-CRUSTED COD OR SNAPPER

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat (unless you're planning to cook the fish later).
• Pat the fish fillets dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a wide bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flaxseeds, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the flour on a plate or in a baking dish. Beat the eggs in a wide bowl. Dredge the fillets first in the flour -- tap them to remove excess flour -- then in the egg, then in the cornmeal-flax mixture. If not cooking right away, place the fish on a baking sheet, uncovered, in the refrigerator.
• Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to the hot pan. When it is rippling, carefully add as many fillets as will fit your pan. Cook four to five minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the fillets) or until nicely browned. Remove from the pan, and keep warm in a low oven while you repeat with the remaining fish and oil, as necessary. Serve hot, with lemon wedges.

CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons minced thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup Dijon mustard and 2 eggs in medium bowl to blend.
• Using mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2- to 1/3-inch thickness. Dip pounded chicken first into mustard mixture and coat well, then into breadcrumb mixture and coat well; shake off excess breadcrumbs.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to skillet; cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken.
• Bake chicken until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.