Island Red Snapper Food

ISLAND FRYDAYS SPICY ESCOVITCH RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Sprinkle the snapper all over with the fish seasoning. Combine the pimento seeds, peppers, carrots and onions in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and transfer to a bowl.
• Fill a deep fryer with oil and set on 350 degrees F or coat a frying pan with oil and heat over high heat. Deep-fry the fish until golden, 5 to 8 minutes, or pan-fry until golden, about 3 minutes per side.
• Dunk the fish in the sauce reserved in the bowl, then transfer the fish to a serving platter and decorate with the vegetables.

JAMAICAN FRIED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Pat the fish dry and cut 3 small slits on each side of the fish. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 quart oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Carefully place the fish in the pan and fry until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Remove fish and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir onion, garlic and carrot into the pan; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add thyme, allspice, habanero pepper, vinegar, water, salt, and sugar and continue cooking until onions have softened and liquid has reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Serve fish topped with onion mixture spooned over the top.

KEVIN NURSE'S JERK RED SNAPPER AND ISLAND SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat grill.
• Put all the spices, garlic, scallions, peppers, lime juice, salt, to taste, and a dash of soy sauce in a blender. Combine ingredients with oil to make a paste. Score the fish, and then rub the marinade into the fish. Place in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the snapper from the bag and place on a greased grill, cooking each side for 7 minutes without flipping.
• While the fish is cooking, brush the zucchini with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Put zucchini slices and whole bell peppers on grill, cooking until the zucchini is tender and red pepper blackened. Set zucchini aside and let the red pepper steam in a covered bowl for a few minutes before removing the skins. Serve vegetables with the whole fish, garnished with Island Salsa.
• Combine the chopped the fruit and onion in a bowl. Stir in the red wine vinegar and cilantro. Then add salt and pepper, to taste. The salsa will be served on the side to cool off the spice of the fish.

EPIS-MARINATED GRILLED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Combine the cider vinegar, scallion, roughly chopped onion, celery, roughly chopped green and red bell peppers, shallot, garlic and 1 Scotch bonnet pepper in a blender (see Cook's Notes). Blend on high until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add the cilantro, culantro and thyme and pulse until finely chopped. Add the 1/2 bunch parsley and pulse until finely chopped.
• Drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth and bright green, about 1 minute. Set aside 1 cup of the epis and place in the refrigerator. Keep the remaining sauce for another use (refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days).
• Cut 3 to 4 diagonal slits on each side of the fish. Squeeze both the lemon halves over the fish; massage the juice into the inside and the outside of the fish as well as into the slits. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt. Cover the fish with cold water in a deep baking dish or large bowl. Pour in the white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
• Mix the 3/4 teaspoon remaining salt, the all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper and allspice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture into the slits and inside the fish. Rub the reserved 1 cup of epis all over the fish. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
• Just before you're ready to cook, place the banana leaves on your counter until defrosted, about 20 minutes. Soak the twine in a small bowl of warm water.
• When ready to cook, prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Place the 2 pieces of twine perpendicular to each other, the longer piece horizontally and the shorter piece vertically. Place one large piece of banana leaf horizontally on top of the twine, making sure it's centered. Place 2 long pieces of banana leaf vertically on top of the horizontal piece.
• Layer the thinly sliced onion and thinly sliced green and red bell peppers in the center of the banana leaf and lay the fish on top. Place lemon slices in the slits of the fish and one bay leaf in each slit that is facing up. Place the remaining lemon slices in the cavity. Poke the whole cloves into the remaining Scotch bonnet and place it in the fish's head. Roll up one side of the banana leaf from left to right making sure to tuck the flap under the vegetables. Roll the second side of the banana leaf from right to left, making sure to tuck it under the fish tightly. Fold the banana leaf flap from bottom to top under the fish. Repeat folding from top to bottom. Grab the twine and tightly tie the packet lengthwise and widthwise, sealing the fish in. Brush both sides of the packet with vegetable oil.
• Place the fish on the grill and cook on both sides until the leaves are charred, 15 to 18 minutes per side. Remove it from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Cut the twine and banana leaf open to release steam. Serve the fish sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

ROASTED SNAPPER, ISLAND EDITION

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with a large cast-iron skillet or small rimmed sheet pan (an aluminum quarter sheet pan is ideal) on the middle rack. Do this at least half an hour before cooking.
• Grind the allspice berries coarsely with a mortar and pestle. Add the garlic and grind to a chunky paste. Add the ginger and grind until broken up, then add the Scotch bonnet and grind to a paste.
• Stir in the thyme, half the lime zest, half the salt, and 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Cut 5 diagonal, shallow gashes across each side of the fish from the head to the tail. Try not to cut more than 1/3 of an inch deep. The cuts should be diagonal from belly to back but also diagonally into the flesh...on the bias.
• Lightly lube the fish with oil. Sprinkle with the remaining half of the salt, being careful to salt the cavity as well.
• Smear the paste onto the fish with a spoon, working it into the gashes. Repeat on the second side.
• Carefully place the fish on the preheated pan and roast for 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.
• To remove, carefully work a metal spatula (a slotted "fish turner" is ideal) and carefully move to a cutting board or platter to serve with the lime wedges. Serving in pieces is virtually impossible so just let people eat directly off the board or platter.
• Consume...careful of the bones