Our annual survey of seafood in Southeast Louisiana this year counts down the 33 best seafood species , with an emphasis on restaurant dining. Some seafoods are better in restaurants because the restaurants have a better supply. Red snapper is one of those. It sometimes can be found in retail seafood markets, and recreational fishermen love to catch red snapper. But it's not something you will often find at the standard supermarket. It's not uncommon for other kinds of snapper to be mistaken for the superior American red snapper.
#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.
