Fish Skin…The other white meat! This recipe calls for scaled red snapper to ensure you get the crispy tasty skin of this beautiful gulf fish. Nothing beats snapper on the half scale on the grill with a little blackening seasoning and some lemon butter, but this dish will turn heads and brighten up your palate.  

Happy Fishing,
~Recreational Chef

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 Red Snapper Fillets scaled (6-8 oz/ea)
2-4 Tablespoons Flour for Dusting
2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Thai Seasoning or Chinese 5 Spice
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Onion, Diced
1/4 Bell Pepper, Diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1” Fresh Ginger, Grated or 1 Tablespoon Ginger Paste
1 Pint of Fish Stock*
1 Can of Coconut Milk
2-4 Tablespoons of Green Curry Paste
2 Cups of Rice
1 Lime
1/2 Cup of Chopped Cilantro

Instructions:
1. In a medium saucepan, add one tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onion and bell pepper. Cook on medium or high until soft and translucent (3-5 minutes).
2. Once the veggies are soft and translucent, add the curry paste, minced garlic, and grated ginger and stir until combined with the veggies. Cook combined veggies for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the fish stock and coconut milk and simmer for 15-30 minutes. *If you’re using a different type of stock, such as venison or veggie, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce.
4. Separately, cook the rice. Once cooked, add the cilantro and the zest and juice from 1 lime.
5. While the curry sauce and rice are cooking, season the red snapper fillets with salt and Thai seasoning, then dredge in flour (skin side only).
6. Put the remaining olive oil in a pan and heat to medium-high heat. Place the red snapper fillets skin side down and press down gently on the fillets for 30 seconds to ensure the skin stays flat to the pan and will become crispy. Cook the fillets for 3-5 minutes on the skin side and 2-3 minutes on the flesh side. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.
7. Serve in a shallow bowl with a mound of rice, the curry sauce poured in, and a red snapper fillet perched on top of the rice to keep the skin crispy.