Description
Blackened Snapper is a white fish that is coated in zesty, smoky seasonings and then pan seared in butter until browned and flakey. Serve with a savory red pepper and tomato dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 6 ounce snapper fillets
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning *
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cayenne pepper
- lemon wedges, optional
Red Pepper Tomato Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes or other chopped tomatoes*
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
1. Stir together the seasonings. Pat the fillets dry, rub each with some olive oil and press the seasonings onto the top an bottom of fish.
2. Heat a cast iron or other skillet over medium-high heat. Place butter in pan and swirl around. Place fish in skillet and cook for 3 minutes. If pan begins to smoke, turn down heat to medium or low-medium. But you do want the fish to sear on each side.
3. Don't move the fish for at least 3 minutes. Use a metal spatula and slide underneath to flip over. If the fish is sticking, let it cook another minute.
3. The snapper is done when it is golden brown and a thermometer registers at least 145°F. It should also be flaky.
Red Pepper and Tomato Dipping Sauce
- Place all ingredients except oil in a mini food processor, immersion blender, food mill or whisk.
- Blend for 1 minute. Add oil and blend another 1-2 minutes to completely combine.
- Pour into cup, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Notes
* Old Bay can be substituted for 1/4 teaspoon each celery salt, paprika, chili powder and dried mustard. It won't be the exact flavor but similar.
*You can use other tomatoes instead of the cherry. Roma would be preferred since they have less seeds than beefsteak variety. Canned diced tomatoes can be used in a pinch just make sure to drain well.
*For very thin pieces of meat or fish, I like to use a digital thermometer or heat gun. It registers the temperature without sticking anything into the thin meat, which is not always accurate. But if you use a regular meat thermometer, slide it in sideways to check the fish.
*This recipe serves two. If you need to make a larger quantity, just make sure you pan sear the fish in a single layer. Don't crowd the fish and cook in batches if necessary.
*The nutrition is calculated as an estimate from Nutrifox.com allowing 3 tablespoons of sauce per fillet. Leftover sauce can be used in a salad, with vegetables or even on a sandwich. Or you could halve the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 387
- Sodium: 698 mg
- Fat: 24g
- Carbohydrates: 6.8g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 70mg