Bill’s Whole Snapper Garlic Ginger recipe may seem seem out of place in an Italian recipe blog, but this Asian recipe shares a lot with Italian preparation. First, the fish should be fresh, which in our case was beyond doubt, having purchased it from Robert, our local fishmonger at the daily harbor fish market in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. Robert cleans and filets all manner of fresh catch with an uber sharp machete right in front of your eyes. Second, the accompanying flavors are understated and elevate rather than overwhelm the fresh fish.
This is a favorite of Suzy and mine when we, like we are now, spend time at our vacation home in the Caymans (no money laundering jokes, please). After a grueling day under the sun, there’s nothing quite like this flavorful fish dish and a little (or a lot of) white wine to wash it down.
[recipe courtesy of taste.com.au]
| INGREDIENTS
1 whole snapper, gutted and scaled 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Ginger, cut into thin strips 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 Tbsp fish sauce 2 Tbsp rice wine 2 tsp sesame oil 2 scallions, sliced 2 or 3 dried chili peppers crushed 1 bunch coriander
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DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Rinse and pat dry 1 whole red snapper. Line baking dish with aluminum foil (you may have lay 2 sheets side by side) and place wax or parchment paper on top. Lay snapper on paper and liberally salt and pepper. Sprinkle garlic and ginger over entire surface. In a small bowl, mix well soy, fish sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. Pour over snapper allowing it to penetrate the skin. Baste several times. Close aluminum/parchment paper to form an airtight pouch with snapper inside. Place in oven (in baking dish) and bake for 30-45 minutes. The snapper is cooked when the flesh flakes and displays no opacity. Unwrap fish and transfer to a serving plate or bowl being sure to pour the liquid over the fish. Garnish with a liberal amount of sliced scallions and some sprigs of coriander. Serve with lots of white wine, preferrably a crisp, acidic wine such as Falanghina, Greco di Tufo or anything from Campania. Buon appetito! |
