Food and Wine magazine proves to be the failsafe once again, with it's Red Snapper and Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Dish.
A curry by nature, this dish was far from ordinary. The only obstacle in our way: getting our ingredients after work, but before the shops close, annd before we resort to eating all the ingredients before cooking. Not having read the recipe thoroughly before purchasing, we spent 3/4 of our time searching for Cardamom, Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel seeds, only to find out later that they were all to be ground, anyway, and without a seed press, making it a bit more difficult to find the humor in our hunt, in the second to last step of the process. We never did come across Cardamom, in any form, either, so that ingredient was omitted, and I must add that insisting on a Sauvignon Blanc, when the recipe called for a dry white wine, was entirely the fault of my own. Also, if fish markets on the Upper East side could sell fish for any more per pound, it would be like buying filets of gold. $29.99 for a pound of Red Snapper, ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Unfortunately, that fish man was not kidding whatsoever, but fortunately, my lovely kitchen host considered it worth her while to buy the fish. She is truly quite the darling. Here is the beauty we selected.
Overall, the scents, and beauty of the dish were delicious and gorgeous, as was my co-conspirator herself. Plus, the topics discussed, and time spent completing a meal together, priceless.
So, first we were to make the fish broth. To a tbs. of butter, we sauteed sliced onion, 2 garlic bulbs, 1/2 a star Anise bulb, and a 1" slice of ginger "smashed". We really added several discs, after realizing I had, once again, not read the directions thoroughly enough. Woopsies! Once that had sauteed, we added 1/4 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup of fish sauce (a wise chef, Suriyan Nanian of the Master Thai Chef Cookery Course in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which I highly recommend ( brotherchef@hotmail.com), once told me, when buying fish sauce, look for sardines being the main ingredient. I assume this is similar to looking for whole grains being the most substantial ingredient of your bread), 2 kafir lime leaves (not available at the local grocery on the UES (though I have found them at Kalustyan's on 2nd Ave around 25th? I think), so we substituted, as advised, with two full zest peels from a lime), and 11 sprigs of cilantro and 2 basil sprigs (trust me, they cook down! I think we just added a whole bunch). Once that boils, you are to add 2 cups of water, and let it boil.
Meanwhile, you make the crab sautee. You first heat your 1/4 tbs's of cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel, and star Anise, and set it aside. You are then supposed to puree the above seeds, but as we had mostly powders, and no blender, we just heated the powders and folded them in. You sautee in 1 tbs oil one small chopped red onion, more cilantro, and fold the crab into all of the spices you warmed up. Note; the aromas are in full gear, now!
You serve the crab mixture on the plate first, then add the Snapper, skins side up, and then you spoon on the fish broth. Huge rings of onions, and mounds of green herbs float in the savory bath of dinner!
The Sauce has reduced...
Tangy, saucey, moist, delicous combo.Thanks for sharing your fun home with me, tonight, friend. I love you!
As for the rest of you; don't just read it, do it!
Mangia Red Snapper tonight, and reconnect with a person you are honored to have in your life. Your friend, and your tastebuds will thank you. As for your wallet, eh, you could try the same dish out for less on the LES.
