Serves 4 Olive-Oil-Poached Red Snapper with Tomato and Scallions
Serves 4
If you think that poaching fish can only produce a bland result that smacks of health spas and sensory deprivation, then you haven’t poached in olive oil. The oil creates a gentle bath that, because of the oil’s viscosity, keeps the fish’s moisture intact. The result is a distinctly silky luxury. The phrase “melts in your mouth” gets overused, but this snapper pretty much does just that. (The technique is a variation on confit, the method used to preserve meats and poultry by slow-cooking them in their own fat. Only here we’re using oil for its rich flavor and we’re not preserving.)
If it seems like you’re cooking in a large quantity of oil, keep in mind that while the fish takes on the flavor of the oil, it doesn’t become saturated as it would if you were frying. And olive oil is good for you; it’s a monounsaturated fat full of antioxidants. You will need a kitchen thermometer to keep the oil temperature constant while making this dish.
This dish should be cooked just before it’s served because it cannot be reheated. It can, however, be kept aside for an hour or two and served at room temperature.
Snapper is a full-flavored fish to begin with, and this is an exceptionally rich treatment, so the portions are intentionally small. Serve this with something light, such as boiled potatoes or some simply dressed greens.
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Four 6-ounce red snapper fillets, ideally 1 inch thick, skin on
Garlic powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
About 1 quart olive oil, for poaching
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 scallions, white parts plus 1 inch of green, thinly cut on the bias
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 lemon, halved
Fleur de sel (see note)
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1. About 30 minutes before you want to cook, put the tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Give a good toss and set aside at room temperature. Take the snapper out of the refrigerator so that it warms to room temperature. Season the fillets all over with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dill.
2. Pour 11/2 inches of olive oil into a heavy-bottomed pot just big enough to hold the fillets comfortably in a single layer. Warm the oil very gently over low heat until it reaches a temperature of 100°F. (It’s normal to overshoot the desired temperature. Don’t worry about it: Just turn off the flame and place the pot on an idle burner until it cools to the right temperature.)
3. Double check that the fillets are at room temperature. (If you immerse cold fish into the oil, the oil will cool too quickly.) Gently immerse the fish into the oil. Let sit, off the heat, for about 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The fish is done when it flakes easily and is opaque throughout. If not done, set the pot over very low heat for a few minutes.
4. After the fish has been poaching for about 20 minutes, prepare the sauce: Transfer 1 tablespoon of the poaching oil to a sauté pan and warm it over medium heat. Add the reserved tomatoes, garlic, scallions, and white wine to the pan. Simmer, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tarragon just before serving.
5. To serve, place 1 fillet on each of 4 warm dinner plates. Top with some of the sauce, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of fleur de sel, and some parsley leaves.
VARIATIONS
This preparation will also give you stellar results with bass, salmon, or turbot.
TOMORROW’S TABLE
Flake any leftover fish and toss it with lemon juice for the basis of a rich Niçoise-style salad like those served in the South of France. Complete the salad with greens, boiled green beans, boiled potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, and sliced, marinated artichoke hearts.
The poaching oil can also be used to make a tasty celery salad. Peel the outer ribs of a few celery stalks and cut the stalks ribbon-thin on the bias. Peel and thinly slice 1 medium red onion. Put the celery and onion in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon drained capers and a bunch frisée lettuce. Add a few spoonfuls of the poaching liquid, season with salt and pepper, and hit it with a squeeze of lemon. Toss well and serve. You can make this salad truly luxurious by topping with it with crème fraîche and caviar.
FLEUR DE SEL
Fleur de sel, slightly coarse French sea salt, is often used as a final flourish on fish and meats because it offers a nice textural crunch and gentle salinity. It’s not as salty as iodized or granulated salt and not as crystalline as coarse Kosher salt. It can really help bring out the individual flavors in a dish at the last second, even at the table, without distracting from them.