Crispy Skin Snapper with Peas, Beans & Preserved Lemon Butter. Fillet the love with this beautiful snapper dish, served with a healthy dose of greens and a delightful preserved lemon butter. It’s a sight to behold on the plate.
Serves 6
Like the majority of the seafood recipes I put together, simplicity is often the key. This recipe is case and point – a perfectly cooked piece of fish with a crisp skin offering texture and flavour. The “supporting acts” in this dish are fresh summer peas, broad beans, and new potatoes, while the preserved lemon butter adds a little “sour and salty” element. The flavours are brought together with a hint of chilli and fresh tarragon. The snapper can be substituted with a similar variety of fish.
Preserved Lemon Butter
250g salted butter, at room temperature
rind of 2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
¼ cup tarragon, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2 lemons, zest and juice
Snapper
canola oil
700g new baby potatoes, cooked, sliced
6 x 150g snapper fillet portions (skin on)
2 cups fresh peas, blanched
3 cups broad beans, blanched, skins removed
1 lemon, juice only
To make preserved lemon butter, add butter, preserved lemon rind, tarragon, parsley, chilli, and lemon zest and juice to a small bowl. With clean hands, work all ingredients through the butter until combined.
Place a piece of cling wrap on the bench. Mould butter into a rough sausage-like shape. Place on the centre of the cling wrap and roll up, twisting wrap at the ends. Place butter in the fridge until required.
Preheat oven to 100°C. In a large skillet or pan over medium heat, add some canola oil, then sauté potatoes until golden and crispy on both sides. Remove pan from heat. Season potatoes with sea salt and place in oven to keep warm.
Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the snapper portions. Return pan to medium heat.
Season the portions of snapper with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little oil to pan, then cook the snapper fillets in batches, skin side down, for 3-4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Turn over and cook the fillets for another 2 minutes or until just done. Remove fillets from pan and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining portions.
Add peas, beans, and a knob of preserved lemon butter to pan. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until hot. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
To serve, place crisp potatoes in the centre of each plate. Top with snapper and spoon over the fresh peas and beans. Pour over any pan juices. Finish with another knob of preserved lemon butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.
