Help Me Cook Some Red Snapper

[Derek Makekau]

I've got a nice little filet, and I'm thinkin' of ways to cook it. Might be lazy and just go with pan sauteeing it in some garlic, salt, pepper and butter...but I was looking for something a little more creative.

Fill me in.

[DT]

I got one for ya - fantasic *and* healthy.

[DT]

Crush some Bran flakes (in a ziplock) and add a goodly amount of seasonings like garlic powder, salt/pepper, chili powder, onion powder (the "regulars").

Beat an egg and add a little shot of hotsauce (~tbsp of Frank's is perfect, not hot but tasty), run the fish through this to lightly coat, toss it in the ziplock (a paper bag works too), shake it up to coat with the flake mixture.

Bake at about 375 for 30 minutes (heavier fish like grouper, red, pompano).

It's amazing. A nice underlying sweetness (very subtle) from the flakes, crispy, super moist (the egg coating really locks it on) - it's basically the effect of frying without the extra big calorie hit of oil, plus whole grain vs. processed flour.

(None of the "nut encrusted" stuff which is the favorite of the faux fancy )

If you have the ingredients this is like 5 minutes prep time, 10 minutes tops - one small bowl to cleanup (with the egg), pitch the bag.

[Scrub]

You guys are weird, it's 8 am on a tuesday and you are sharing snapper recipes. way too early for this.

[DT]

You guys are weird, it's 8 am on a tuesday and you are sharing snapper recipes. way too early for this.

Hahaha, it's 11am here, do I get a pass?

[narwhal]

It's never to early for red snapper.

[Derek Makekau]

definitely not, robs. never ever. i eat salmon at 4am.

that's a winner so far, DT. i'm planning on saving it for around lunch time...i figure i should be crashing pretty hard from my coffee at that point. i don't have the hot sauce, but i might run down to circle k and get a few eggs so i can make it work. not a big spicy fan either way, so maybe it will work without the spice?

[sealice aka lone ranger]

Crush some Bran flakes (in a ziplock) and add a goodly amount of seasonings like garlic powder, salt/pepper, chili powder, onion powder (the "regulars").

Beat an egg and add a little shot of hotsauce (~tbsp of Frank's is perfect, not hot but tasty), run the fish through this to lightly coat, toss it in the ziplock (a paper bag works too), shake it up to coat with the flake mixture.

Bake at about 375 for 30 minutes (heavier fish like grouper, red, pompano).

It's amazing. A nice underlying sweetness (very subtle) from the flakes, crispy, super moist (the egg coating really locks it on) - it's basically the effect of frying without the extra big calorie hit of oil, plus whole grain vs. processed flour.

(None of the "nut encrusted" stuff which is the favorite of the faux fancy )

If you have the ingredients this is like 5 minutes prep time, 10 minutes tops - one small bowl to cleanup (with the egg), pitch the bag.

375 for 30 minuts for one little fillet is going to turn it into charcoal. 15 tops, just check the temp and see if its flaking. always remember its better for fish to be slightly undone then over cooked.

[Derek Makekau]

I was wondering about that. I don't usually bake fish for more than 8-12 minutes.

[narwhal]

DT is so old.

[DT]

375 for 30 minuts for one little fillet is going to turn it into charcoal. 15 tops, just check the temp and see if its flaking. always remember its better for fish to be slightly undone then over cooked.

We just did a couple of Pomp fillets, 30 minutes @ 375 - turned out perfect, 15 would have been way underdone. Pompano is very dense and fatty (about 1" thick) so it's pretty stout, and the egg coating tends to seal the meat and resist the heat more. Standard convection settings. You might want to start checking at 15, but it usually takes till about 25 to crisp up the flakes good (same recipe on chicken is about 45-50 minutes).

With cooking times it's always YMMV.

[(S3)]

DT's recipe sounds pretty good.

You could also try oven poaching in a foil tent.

Very easy to do and all you need are a few basic ingredients (for one peice of fish):

Couple pats of butter
1 clove garlic
a few lemon slices
salt and pepper
tspn olive oil

Lay out 1 piece of foil about twice the size of the fish to be cooked. Lay down a few drops of olive oil and place the fish down on top of the oiled foil.
mince up the garlic and mix with the butter and spread over the top of the fish, add a pinch of salt and pepper and lay down the lemon slices over the top. If you want to get fancy, you can garnish with a little dill or capers. Get another piece of foil and lay over the top and leave a bit of an air pocket so it will steam around the fish. Crimp the two pieces of foil together to form a tight seal. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice, crusty bread and a good bottle of white wine. By the way, if you have white wine around, you can add a tspn or more to add to the flavor and enhance the steaming.

[Derek Makekau]

How do you cook something to poach it? As much as I cook, I've never poached anything.

[(S3)]

true poaching is done on top of the stove, where you partially submerge in liquid, cover and low simmer. The combination of steaming and simmering cooks the food. Oven poaching, is more of a trapped steaming approach.

[Derek Makekau]

interesting. sounds like it might keep the fish more moist...one of my least favorite things is dry fish.

[SkimNate]

i don't like to eat fish much. catching them is fun and so is cooking them, but eating them... meh.

[Derek Makekau]

i eat fish enough to worry about mercury poisoning.

[Icej]

mmm I want to go home and cook dinner now.

[DT]

i don't like to eat fish much. catching them is fun and so is cooking them, but eating them... meh.

You're my new best friend. PM'ing you to coordinate the weekly fish delivery

[DT]

i eat fish enough to worry about mercury poisoning.

We eat it 2 times a week just about every week (unless there's a huge price spike and/or the local sources [Family/Friends] hit a dry spell).

I try to make a point of fresh caught, or a fresh fish market (like Kyle's) or if we have to buy at the grocery, line caught - most of the farmed stuff has a potentially higher level of toxins.

Farmed, heheh, there's an old joke...

[SkimNate]

You're my new best friend. PM'ing you to coordinate the weekly fish delivery

haha. I take those fish oil pills though because we eat a ridiculous amount of spaghetti and anything with my dad's meat sauce, so not much room for fish. like we eat fish maybe once a week. but I'm a runner so I hear the fish oil pills help with joints and stuff.

edit: We're Italian so thats whatsup with all the sauce and spaghetti.

[TheRealVortex]

better way.

tin foil lay the filet in there.

take some Adobo Season All gyao makes it. put it both sides.

some onions on top little butter if you like. enclose the fish in the tinfoil like a baggie. on the grill 8-12 minutes.

derek you will never have anything better

[p.pointe]

it didn't really sound like he had the grill though (at work), but that sounds dank for some at-home grilling. I just did some swordfish steaks on sunday. Derek, you really can't go wrong with garlic, lemon, salt and pepper. They are basically the standards of fish cooking.

As for the poaching, if you're gonna do it, poach the fish in a reduction sauce instead of just water, to enhance its flavor. Try a cup of white wine w/ garlic and shallots with the poaching water. Keeps the fish moist, and adds epic flavor. Its worked for me every time.

[Derek Makekau]

I copped out. The new episode of Nip/Tuck was almost done downloading, I had just finished updating a website and didn't want to walk all the way to the grocery store for bran and/or any other of the fresh ingredients you guys listed.

Salt, pepper, garlic, butter, soy sauce...and a few little spritzes of lemon juice.

It was great. Either way, grocery store tonight, fresh fish, more ingredients, take two tomorrow.

Thanks for all of the recipes. I may buy a few filets and just try them all.

[Derek Makekau]

oh and p.pointe, i work at home...but sadly still no grill. i used the stovetop.

[p.pointe]

aw man, you gotta get a grill. I got this shitty black weber grill in a garage sale for $5 and cleaned it up. I throw charcoal and mesquite(or hickory) wood chips in there every time. Its epic. Clean up = wire brush before next use.

[Derek Makekau]

I want to make hobo dinners in my fireplace. That would be legit.

[SkimNate]

mmm that smokey flavor.

[beachbum]

DT's recipe sounds pretty good.

You could also try oven poaching in a foil tent.

Very easy to do and all you need are a few basic ingredients (for one peice of fish):

Couple pats of butter
1 clove garlic
a few lemon slices
salt and pepper
tspn olive oil

Lay out 1 piece of foil about twice the size of the fish to be cooked. Lay down a few drops of olive oil and place the fish down on top of the oiled foil.
mince up the garlic and mix with the butter and spread over the top of the fish, add a pinch of salt and pepper and lay down the lemon slices over the top. If you want to get fancy, you can garnish with a little dill or capers. Get another piece of foil and lay over the top and leave a bit of an air pocket so it will steam around the fish. Crimp the two pieces of foil together to form a tight seal. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice, crusty bread and a good bottle of white wine. By the way, if you have white wine around, you can add a tspn or more to add to the flavor and enhance the steaming.

ahhh pretty much exactly what i do. Salmon: dill, butter, SaltnPepper, garlic (usually powder), and lemon (usually juice). Poach in alum foil. Comes out tasting great and moist. serve on white rice.

i wish i could eat a lot more fish than i do at college(since its one of my favorite courses to have)...but its expensive. At home we would have it atleast once a week. Chicken is much cheaper for me and has the protein i need. Typically ill have fish once every two weeks now...salmon or snapper...

Derek/DT/S3/P.pointe....where and how do you buy your fish...typically im going to the regular grocery and its either fresh on styrofoam or frozen and vacupacked.

Same approach or do you guys know where to buy fish cheaper (besides catching yourself or neighbors tossin ya some fillets)

[Derek Makekau]

I always buy it at Ralph's, either from the actual seafood dude or the fresh on styrofoam deal.

it's insanely cheap when compared to eating out, obviously. my red snapper filet was only 1.92, and it was pretty big. fish always seems pretty cheap here, which i was surprised about considering how expensive everything else is in california.

[skimFRAT]

How do you cook something to poach it? As much as I cook, I've never poached anything.

derek, i live upstairs...
...you were just up here...
hmmmm?


edit: i have 10 schoolbooks, and hands on lessons can be quite sexy.

[ZapBulletRider]

I cook all my meat in a cast iron skillet. Just throwing that out there.

[p.pointe]

beachbum, i have to get mine from a regular grocery store, but in my defense, that grocery store is called "Fresh Market", not Pooblix or wal-mart or albertsons.

[Derek Makekau]

derek, i live upstairs...
...you were just up here...
hmmmm?

haha did you want fish? i cooked it like two hours ago.

[skimFRAT]

no, i could have showed you how to shallow poach that bad boy. too late now, i didnt know you cooked it.