Head Chef Paul Niedermann (BLT Steak, New York, New York; inspired by Florida)
Serves 4
Growing up in Florida, all I ever did was fish. It was something that my grandfather did with my brother Chris and I ever since I could remember, and we always had a fish-fry when we got back. Even as we got older, our love of fishing remained. My brother turned his love for fishing into a career and, whenever I have a day off, I spend it on his boat. After fishing all day, we take what we have caught, and have dinner together.
Now, working as a chef in Florida, and having an Italian background, I came up with this dish. Having such easy access to fresh fish and amazing citrus all year-round, naturally, I found a way to combine the two into something great.
1 pint cherry red tomatoes, washed and cut in half
2 teaspoons sugar
4 sprigs thyme, leaves only
½ clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, lightly chopped
1 ounce extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
3 cups mayonnaise
½ cup minced capers
½ bunch parsley, chopped
¼ bunch tarragon, picked and chopped
¼ bunch oregano, picked and chopped
Juice and zest of 1 orange (see Chef’s Tips on citrus zest, this page)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 (10 oz.) skinless red snapper fillets, pin bones and bloodline removed
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
3 ounces water
½ bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped and divided
6 cups panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
¼ bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups baby arugula
1 cup Spicy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
2 cups Orange-Caper Mayonnaise
2 lemons (1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Place the tomato mixture in a baking pan lined with a piece of parchment paper.
Bake in a 250°F oven until the tomatoes are soft and blistered (about 30 minutes).
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste. Yields 1 quart.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on the cutting board, and then place the fish, flesh-side-up, onto the plastic. Cover with another piece of plastic.
Carefully and lightly pound the fish until the entire fillet is ⅛-inch thick. Repeat this process until all the fish is pounded. Place the fish on a baking sheet and reserve in the refrigerator until you are ready to bread.
Bread the fish using the Chef’s Tips instructions for standard breading procedure (this page).
Place each of the following mixtures into separate shallow pans, wide enough to hold the snapper.
Make a dry flour mixture by combining the flour, salt, and pepper.
Make a wet egg mixture by combining the eggs, garlic, cheese, water, and half of the parsley. Make a dry breadcrumb mixture by combining the breadcrumbs, oregano, half of the parsley, and cilantro.
To cook, heat up the oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat until the oil begins to smoke. Carefully place the fish into the pan and cook until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Flip the fish and cook the other side until it is also brown.
To serve, place the fish onto plates or one platter, and dress the arugula with the juice of one lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with Spicy Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, and serve with Orange-Caper Mayonnaise and slices of lemon on the side.