Red Snapper Recipe

Cook potatoes

Place the potato pieces in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until very tender, 15–20 minutes.

Drain and dry

Drain the potatoes well in a colander, then return them to the hot pan. Over low heat, toss for 1–2 minutes to remove excess moisture.

Mash and finish

Pass potatoes through a ricer or mash very finely. Warm the milk, cream and 3 tbs butter together until melted. Stir warm dairy into the potatoes until silky. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white (or black) pepper. Fold in chopped chives. Keep warm, covered, until serving.

Prepare fennel

In a wide sautée pan, heat 3 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat. Add sliced shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until translucent.

Sweat fennel

Add the thinly sliced fennel and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 12–15 minutes.

Deglaze and poach

Increase heat to medium, add 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup stock to deglaze, scraping up any fond. Simmer until liquid reduces to a silky glaze, about 4–6 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp lemon zest, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Keep warm.

Bloom saffron

Place saffron threads in 2 tbs hot water and let steep 5–10 minutes to extract color and aroma.

Make flavored butter

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 6 tbs butter gently until foaming subsides but not browned. Stir in the saffron infusion (including threads), 1 tbs lemon juice, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp white pepper. Keep warm on lowest heat or in a warm spot; do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Season fillets

Pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1.5 tsp kosher salt (divided) and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (divided).

Cook skin-side down

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place fillets skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 10–15 seconds to prevent curling. Cook undisturbed until skin is crisp and edges are nearly opaque, 3–4 minutes depending on thickness.

Finish

Flip the fillets and add 1 tbs unsalted butter to the pan. Spoon the melted saffron-lemon butter (about 1 tbs per fillet) over the fish while the flesh finishes cooking, about 1–2 minutes for medium; cook up to 3 minutes for fully opaque. Fish should flake easily and reach an internal temperature of ~135–140°F (57–60°C) for moistness.

Rest

Transfer fillets to a warm plate and spoon a little additional saffron-lemon butter on top. Let rest 1–2 minutes.

Spoon a generous portion of potato purée onto each plate, creating a shallow well in the center. Top with 2–3 tbs of fennel confit beside or partially on the purée. Place a red snapper fillet, skin-side up, across the purée. Spoon 1–2 tbs saffron-lemon butter around the fish and on the purée. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and microgreens. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.