Herbed Red Snapper with Caviar Aubergine, Crisp Onion Rings, and Toasted Caraway Seed Vinaigrette

To prepare the caviar aubergine: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a baking sheet lightly with olive oil spray. Make a few slashes in the skin of the eggplant. Place on the prepared baking sheet and roast about 1 hour, until soft. Remove and cool.

Combine the olive oil, onion, shallots, and garlic in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Saute until the onions and shallots are translucent. Add the peppers and saute until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut the roasted eggplant in half and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Add eggplant pulp to the pepper mixture and continue cooking slowly for 1 hour, stirring occasionally (alternatively, bake for 1 hour in a 350 F oven). The mixture will be dry but not dehydrated. Stir the thyme and basil into the mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.

To begin the onion rings: Put the onion slices and milk in a large bowl and let soak for one hour in the refrigerator.

To make the vinaigrette: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the caraway seeds in a small ovenproof skillet and toast until golden, 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. Whisk together the olive oil and lime juice, then add the caraway seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a squeeze bottle with a large opening.

To make the oil: Place the leaves in a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil and process until smooth and thickened. Place in a squeeze bottle.

To prepare the confit: Use a zester or vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons in long strips. You should end up with long very narrow strips. Juice the lemons and combine the lemon juice, sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small non-aluminum saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. When the sugar has melted, add the lemon zest, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add the red pepper and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. If all the liquid evaporates, add water enough to just moisten. Remove from heat and cool.

To prepare the fish: Using long-nosed pliers, remove any remaining pin bones from the fish. Locate the bones by running a finger along the flesh of the fish from head to tail and back; remove by pulling at a slight angle toward the head end. Using a sharp knife, make three or four diagonal slashes through the skin on each fillet to prevent curling when cooking. Cut each fillet in half, leaving the tail section slightly longer than the head section.

Lightly season each fillet with salt and pepper. Generously sprinkle the flesh side of one piece of each fillet with basil julienne. Top with the other half of the fillet, flesh sides together.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Using two ovenproof 12-inch saute pans or skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in each. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the fish “sandwiches. Place a similar pan on top of the fish in the pan to keep the fish from curling and the sandwiches together. Sear for 3 minutes. Remove the top pan and turn the fish with a spatula to sear the other side. Replace the top pan and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and place in the oven for 4 to 7 minutes, until cooked through.

To finish the onion rings: Drain the onion slices and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil to 350 F in a deep-fat fryer or deep saucepan. Toss the rings in flour to lightly coat and shake off the excess. Fry until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or wire lifter and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To serve: Place about 3 tablespoons of caviar aubergine in the center of each serving plate. Set a fish “sandwich” on top of each. Make a stack of 6 to 8 onion rings and stack on top of the fish. Place an spoonful of confit to one side, and lay a few strips of lemon and pepper over the onion rings. Spoon or squirt a circle of caraway seed vinaigrette around the edge of the plate and dot the vinaigrette with cilantro oil.