Pan-cooked Fillet of Yellowtail Snapper with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Golden brown sauteed snapper fillets rest on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. Citrus butter sauce surrounds the potatoes; blanched asparagus spears and bright blood orange segments are placed in the butter sauce. A much more exciting way to serve citrus with fish than just placing a lemon slice next to the fillet!
Ingredients
- Yellowtail Snapper
- Egg - 1
- Half & Half - 1/4 cup
- Flour - 1/4 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Yellowtail snapper - Four 8-ounce fillets (alt. similar thin, delicate fish)
- Clarified Butter - 1/4 cup
- Citrus Butter
- Orange Juice - 1/2 cup, freshly squeezed
- Champagne Vinegar - 3 tablespoons
- Shallots - 2, peeled and sliced
- Bay Leaf - 1, broken
- Black Pepper - 1 teaspoon, freshly cracked
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 3 tablespoons
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 pound, cut into small pieces, very cold
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- New Potatoes - 12 – 16 cups, peeled, diced, and placed in cold water. Note: potato sizes vary; keep in mind you want to end up with
- Potatos - 6 cups, of raw peeled and diced
- Salt - Pinch
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2 cups
- Garlic - 1/4 cup, roasted
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Asparagus Spears
- Asparagus spears - 1 pound, trimmed and peeled
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Blood Orange - 12 sections
- Thyme - Four sprigs
Instructions
To prepare the fish: Beat the eggs with the half-and-half, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Season the flour to taste with salt and pepper. Cut each fish fillet into four equal portions. Dust the fish with the seasoned flour and “spank” off the excess. Dip the fish in the egg wash and leave them there until ready to cook; this can be done up to 6 hours ahead of time, and the fish refrigerated until cooking time.
To make the citrus butter: Put the orange juice, vinegar, shallots, bay leaf, and cracked black pepper in a small non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to about 3 ounces (about 10 minutes). Stir in the cream and let come to a boil. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, a little bit at a time, until incorporated. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and keep warm over warm water (may also be stored in a thermos).
To prepare the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to cover and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until softened, 15 – 20 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat and whisk in the roasted garlic. Cook until reduced to 2 cups of liquid. Take off the heat and keep warm until ready to serve the potatoes.
To prepare the asparagus: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and a pinch of salt. Cook 5 minutes, until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and dip into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside; keep warm.
To cook the fish: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Heat a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat and add the clarified butter. Lift the fish from the egg wash with your hand and gently lay in the hot butter, taking care to let the fish fall away from you. Gently shake the pan to loosen the fish from the bottom and sear 30 – 45 seconds. When they are deeply golden, turn with a spatula, tilting the butter toward the bottom of the pan and flipping the fish toward the top to avoid splashing. Sear again for 30 seconds. Drain off any excess butter and put the fish in the oven for 7 – 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.
To finish the potatoes: Mash the potatoes in a large bowl to break them up. Add the cream, garlic, and butter, and mash again, leaving some texture to the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and truffle oil.
To serve: Place a tall scoop of mashed potatoes onto each of four warmed serving plates. Top the potato mounds with four sections of fish. Ladle citrus butter around the fish. Place asparagus spears in the citrus butter. Garnish each with a sprig of thyme and three blood orange segments.
