Our annual survey of seafood in Southeast Louisiana this year counts down the 33 best seafood species enjoyed in our restaurants, seafood markets, and homes. For the full survey so far, click here. Or use the links at the bottom to move up and down the list.
#3: Red Snapper
Red snapper is a favorite not only around New Orleans but all across America. That makes it more expensive and less often available, even though fishermen catch a lot of it in nearby waters. Having to catch the fish with rod and reel adds to the scarcity.
Chefs who really know their fish (at Brigtsen's, Commander's, GW Fins, and Andrea's, to name a few) find getting red snapper well worth the trouble. It's frequently and prominently featured on the menu.
Snapper is distinctly better in taste and texture than redfish, with which it is often confused (on menus, not in markets). Red snapper has a tender texture that holds together well even though I'd call it a flaky fish. The taste is pure and good. The oil content is relatively low, but despite that there is no lack of flavor.
My favorite cooking method for red snapper involves searing the fish in hot butter and olive oil in a pan, removing the fish momentarily, adding wine and lemon juice, then onions, bell peppers or mushrooms or whatever. The pan sauce pulls together quickly, then the fish goes back in for a pass through the oven until done. It comes out tender and perfect, the sauce and the fish exchanging their flavors.
Red snapper also lends itself to being cooked whole, particularly if it's a smaller snapper. The technique of covering the fish with a pile of kosher salt and baking it (at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes for a five-pound fish) gives startlingly good results. Some people grill red snapper, but I don't think that really brings out the flavor of the fish best.
We only wish there were more red snapper around. However, the species has been overfished and is now heavily managed both at the state and federal levels (as it should be). So red snapper comes and goes. Anytime it's available fresh, you should grab it.
Nearly As Good Alternatives. Red snapper is the best of the snappers, but it's not the only one. Two of the most prized are lane snapper and mangrove snapper, both Gulf fish. Once again, the chefs who know a lot about fish are the only ones who are likely to give you thse options. But they are well worth trying.
Red Snapper Veracruzana
We New Orleanians, as proud as we are about our seafood, sometimes give short shrift to the seafood cookery of other place. Mexico is a good example of this. Mexico has a long coastline and lots of fish--many of them the same ones we catch and eat here. This dish is a Mexican classic, in the style of Veracruz. If red snapper isn't available, trout, drum, flounder, sheepshead or lemonfish would also be good this way.
- 4 fresh red snapper fillets, 6-8 oz. each
- 2 Tbs. lime juice
- 1/4 cup beer
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium-small yellow onions
- 1 ripe red bell peppers
- 1 jalapeno
- 4 medium, nearly-ripe tomatoes, sliced into half-inch dice.
- 1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 Tbs. Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
- 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1. Marinate the fish fillets in a mixture of the lime juice and beer for two minutes per side. Shake off the excess and season lightly with salt and Creole seasoning.
2. While the fish is marinating, peel the outer layer from the onions. Cut the onions from top to bottom, then slice across as thin as you can. (This will result in onion strings (half-rings). Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and slice into strings about the same size as the onions. Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeno and chop finely.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and bell pepper strings, jalapeno, and tomato dice. Cook until the onions are tender. Add any remaining lime-beer marinade and bring to a boil for a minute.
4. Add the snapper fillets, pushing the vegetables aside so the fish is in contact with the pan. Cook the fish on one side for about two minutes.
5. Turn the fish over. Stir in the oregano, tomato puree, and Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce. Cover the pan and put it into the 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until a fork stuck into the fish center of the fish comes out warm.
Serves four.
