Snapper Pontchartrain

OFFSHORE FISHING HAS always been a cherished adventure for me. Cruising in beautiful deep blue water while trolling around a rock pile or an oil rig and waiting with anticipation for that strike. Red snapper has been a rare treat with the strict limits placed on them over the last several years, but when we can go, we enjoy this delicacy to the max. This is a great recipe; I hope you love it as we have.

Serves six.

Ingredients

24 Medium fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined (reserve shells)

1 tsp Tabasco sauce

½ cup chopped onion

1/3 cup Madeira wine

½ cup chopped celery

1 Tbsp sale

½ cup chopped carrots

1 ½ tsp. Paprika

5 cups water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/8 cups unsalted butter

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 Tbsp flour

8 oz. fresh snapper fillets (or other white-fleshed fish)

2 cups flour

1½ Tbsp chopped fresh garlic

Lemon juice

¼ cup chopped yellow onion

6 oz crab claws or 6 oz of jumbo lump crab meat

1 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions

Combine reserved shrimp shells, chopped vegetables and water in a large stockpot: simmer over medium heat until liquid is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes; strain and set aside.

Make a roux in a heavy saucepan by melting 4 Tbsps of butter until it begins to turn brown.

Slowly whisk in 4 Tbsp flour until mixture thickens to a paste; cook until it turns a light golden brown.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in another saucepan.

Add garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat 2 minutes.

Add crushed bouillon cube, pepper sauce and shrimp stock.  Stir and simmer.

While the stock is simmering, melt 1 stick plus 1 1/3 Tbsp butter in a separate saucepan, stirring until it turns golden brown; set aside.

Add roux to stock mixture and stir to incorporate, then simmer 3 to 5 minutes.

Add brown butter to stock and whisk until incorporated and emulsified.

Whisk in Madeira until incorporated.

Set sauce aside and keep warm while the fish fillets are cooking.

Mix salt, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne into remaining 2 cups flour.

Dip fish fillets in lemon juice, then into seasoned flour to coat.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large heated skillet over medium heat.

Place fillets in skillet and cook until golden brown and completely cooked, about 4 minutes per side.

While the fish is cooking, sauté the peeled shrimp in 1 Tbsp butter just until they turn pink (do not overcook).

Add shrimp and crab to Madeira sauce.

Spoon 4 shrimp and a couple ounces of heated sauce over fillets and serve.

Bon Appetit!

 

See more recipies at thetexasgourmet.com

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

 

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