Salt Crusted Snapper Food

SALT-BAKED SNAPPER WITH ICE WINE NAGE

Steps:

• To prepare snapper: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Finely grate zest of lemon and orange into a large bowl. Squeeze juices from lemon and orange into a separate bowl, and reserve for preparing nage. To bowl of zests, add the salt, juniper berries, fennel seed, star anise and egg whites. Mix well. Spread half the mixture flat on a baking tray. Rub snapper all over with olive oil, and place on top of salt mixture. Spread with remaining salt mixture, patting it down and leaving mixture thinner at edges than on top. (This is where crust will be cracked after baking.) Bake 30-35 minutes for medium-rare fish, 40 to 45 minutes for medium.
• While fish bakes, prepare nage and vegetables: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add endive and carrots, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add wine, reserved lemon and orange juice and saffron. Raise heat to medium-high and boil until nage is reduced by about a third, about 5 minutes.
• Remove nage from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a bowl, and set them aside. Return pan to low heat, and whisk in remaining 10 tablespoons butter, a tablespoon or two at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return vegetables to pan, and reheat just until warmed. Add parsley, remove from heat, and keep warm.
• To serve, use a kitchen mallet to crack salt crust lightly around edges of fish. Remove salt crust with a knife, and transfer portions of fish fillet to each of four plates. Top with nage and vegetables, and serve immediately.

SALT CRUSTED WHOLE RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• When cooking with a whole fish you must first be sure that the fish is gutted, your local fish market will do this for you. The skin should be scaled and the gills and fins removed. Leave on the head and tail. Rinse the fish inside and out then pat dry.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the parsley, orange, fennel, bay leaves, shallot, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, and 1/4-cup olive oil. Stuff the cavity of the fish with 3/4 of the mixture, then spread the remaining 1/4 on the bottom of a roasting pan so the fish will not stick.
• Transfer the fish to the roasting pan and rub the skin with remaining olive oil. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to a stiff peak, then fold in the salt to make a paste. Smear the salt paste over the entire fish and roast in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The egg whites form a hard crust that will crack like a shell. To serve, scoop the flesh from the fish with a spoon.

SALT-CRUSTED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Rinse snapper inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
• Season fish inside and out with pepper.
• In a bowl, stir together egg whites, water and salt to make a paste.
• Spread half of salt paste over the bottom of an oval roasting pan.
• Place fish on top; pack remaining salt paste over entire surface of fish.
• Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of fish registers 135 degrees F., about 50-60 minutes.
• The salt paste will have formed a hard crust; gently crack it with a spoon, lift off crust and discard.
• Serve fish immediately.

WHOLE RED SNAPPER BAKED IN A SALT CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a bowl stir together salt and water until combined well. On a large baking sheet spread half of salt mixture in a rectangle just larger than the red snapper and set fish on top. Halve lemon crosswise and cut 3 slices from 1 half, reserving remaining half. Insert slices into cavity of fish. Pat remaining salt mixture over fish to cover completely and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• Rap all around edge of salt crust with the back of a large spoon to loosen and lift top off. Squeeze juice from reserved lemon half over fish and drizzle with oil.

SALT-ROASTED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fish thoroughly inside and out until no traces of blood remain. Pat fish dry with paper towels.
• In a large bowl, stir together salt and egg whites until thoroughly combined. Place a 1/2-inch layer of salt mixture in the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Place lemon rounds, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves on top of salt, arranging ingredients so they form shape of fish and reserving some of each ingredient. Fill fish cavity with reserved lemons and herbs; place the fish on top of mixture.
• Pour the remaining salt over fish, completely covering the body; the tail can stick out of the pan. Using your fingers, pat down salt, completely sealing the fish.
• Place pan in center of oven. Cook fish until done, allowing 15 minutes per pound. (One way chefs check for doneness is to insert a carving fork or metal skewer through the salt crust and into the fish, then place it to the chin under lower lip for 15 seconds; if the metal feels very warm, the fish is done.) Remove pan from oven; let sit 5 minutes.
• Gently break away crust. Transfer fish to a cutting board. Using a paring knife and your fingers, peel away skin. Separate, and serve.

HERB-CRUSTED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the first nine ingredients; cover and process until fennel is finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl; dip fillets in herb mixture, coating both sides., In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in oil for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

SALT BAKED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center. Rinse fish thoroughly, inside and out, until no traces of blood remain. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Stuff cavity of fish with a few lemon slices, a few sprigs of parsley, a few sprigs of thyme, and a bay leaf; set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together salt and egg whites until thoroughly combined. Spread a 1/2-inch layer of salt, about the size of the fish, in a baking dish. Arrange the remaining lemon slices, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves over the salt; place fish on top of herbs.
• Pour the remaining salt over fish, completely covering the body; the tail can stick over edge of pan. Using your fingers, pat down salt, completely sealing the fish.
• Place pan in oven, and cook until fish is done, allowing 15 minutes per pound. (One way chefs check for doneness is to insert a carving fork or metal skewer through the salt crust and into the fish, then place the skewer to the chin under lower lip for 15 seconds; if the metal feels very warm the fish is done.) Remove pan from oven; let sit 5 minutes.
• Gently break away the crust. Transfer fish to a cutting board. Using a paring knife and your fingers, peel away skin. Separate, and serve.