Butter Fried Snapper with Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Ease of preparation rating: Easy.
Yield: 4 servings.
Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 pound (450 grams) fingerling potatoes, rinsed
3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 400oF (205oC).
In a mixing bowl, toss potatoes in olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place potatoes on a baking tray with parchment paper, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until soft.
Remove from heat, and place potatoes on a cutting board.
One at a time, press down on the potato with the bottom of a frying pan to ‘smash’ it.
Reserve for plating.
Butter Fried Snapper
Ingredients:
½ pound (225 grams) butter
4 fillets of red snapper (4 ounces each or 120 grams each), skin-on
1 orange, whole
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Remove zest from orange, and reserve.
Clarify butter by melting it in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Once completely melted, use a spoon to remove all the froth (milk solids) floating over the butter.
Once that is done, using a small ladle or a big spoon, remove all the clear yellow butter and reserve, leaving the ‘milk’ in the sauce pan.
Pat red snapper fillets dry, and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Place fish fillets skin side down in the hot oil, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until a nice golden brown crust has formed.
Flip the fish, and add the clarified butter to the pan.
Add rosemary sprigs.
Bring to a boil, and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
As this is happening, slice the orange and squeeze in juice.
Remove fish from clarified butter.
Serve immediately over Smashed Fingerling Potatoes.
Garnish with rosemary leaves, orange zest and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the clarified butter.