March 13, 2009 | Fish & Seafood, Pasta & Pizza, Sauces
Those of you who follow this blog will see that I’ve been on a bit of a fish kick lately – that’s because I’ve been busy with fish cooking classes and some freelance assignments about fish (look for Buzz in the ‘burbs in May or Edible Front Range in July). But I’m finding that I like the lighter dinners along with the lighter evening hours – hope you do too and I’d appreciate you letting me know.
I created this red snapper (actually grouper as Whole Foods didn’t have red snapper) braised in a puttanesca sauce to photograph for an upcoming article. You create the sauce in a skillet, then nestle the fish fillets in the sauce, cover the pan, and let it quickly braise.
After I shot the photograph I returned the sauce the the pan and added a little prepared marinara sauce (about a cup for the two of us) and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (even though the Italians would consider it almost a crime to use cheese with a seafood dish), and stirred that all together.
I finished it with some whole wheat spaghetti and then served that with the fish on top.
Quick Braised Red Snapper Puttanesca
Serves 23/4 pound red snapper (or other firm white fish), skin removed
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 clove garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon capers
red pepper flakes, to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegarSeason fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, and then add the tomato, olives, half of the basil, capers and red pepper flakes. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes. Nestle fish into the sauce, spooning some on top. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, cover, and cook over low until fish is just barely cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Remove fish to a plate with a spatula. Turn heat up on sauce to thicken it and stir in remaining basil and vinegar. Pour sauce over fish to serve. (If desired, combine sauce with a little marinara sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and toss with cooked pasta.)
what could be substituted for grouper?
The recipe was written for red snapper – actually any firm white fish would work just fine!