Red Snapper With Stewed Vegetables
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Crispy-skinned red snapper seared until the skin shatters, served over a light stew of new potatoes, summer squash, and zucchini in a white wine, lemon, and tarragon broth. A healthy Mediterranean-style fish dinner.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
35 minREADY
60 minThis is a fish dinner that feels light yet satisfying, crisp-skinned red snapper perched on a brothy tangle of summer vegetables. The vegetables stew gently in white wine, lemon, and stock until tender, soaking up bright, savory flavor with every minute.
The order matters. New potatoes, zucchini, and squash get a head start, the roasted bell pepper joins near the end so it stays intact, and fresh chives and tarragon go in last, lending a clean, faintly anise lift that loves white fish.
The snapper is all about the skin. Seared skin-side down and left undisturbed, it crisps up shatter-thin while the flesh stays moist and just cooked through.
Spoon the vegetables into a bowl, set the crackling fillet on top, and you’ve got a healthy, restaurant-worthy plate.
Chef Tips
- Pat the snapper skin bone-dry and lay it in hot oil skin-side down without moving it. Fidgeting with the fish is the enemy of crisp skin.
- Press the fillet gently with a spatula for the first few seconds so the skin makes full contact and doesn’t curl.
- Pull the fish at an internal temperature of 140°F (60°C). Snapper is lean and overcooks fast, turning dry and chalky.
- Add the herbs only at the very end so they stay bright and fragrant instead of fading.
Variations
- Use any firm white fish like sea bass, grouper, or cod in place of snapper.
- Stir a handful of cherry tomatoes or olives into the stew for a more pronounced Mediterranean accent.
Ingredients
Directions
Sauté the potatoes, squash, and zucchini, in olive oil for 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.
Add the wine, lemon juice, stock, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the bell pepper about five minutes before the vegetables are done and the chives and tarragon one minute before.
Season both sides of the snapper fillets with salt and pepper.
Heat another skillet with olive oil and sear the snapper, skin side down, for three minutes or until crisp.
Flip it and sauté for another five minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
Place the stewed vegetables in a bowl with the fish fillets on top.
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