Quinoa Crusted Snapper Veracruz

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• For the sauce:
• 2 T. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 t. red chili flakes
• 2 oz. capers
• 1 red onion, julienned
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced
• 2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 c. white wine
• 1 c. briny green olives (Drew likes Cerignolas that he pits himself)
• 1 t. sugar
• For the fish:
• 4 5–6 oz. snapper fillets (skin removed)
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 c. quinoa flakes (found in the hot cereal aisle)
• 2 –3 T. olive oil
• 1 T. butter

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a pan over medium heat and add the oil, garlic and red chili flakes. As soon as the garlic becomes aromatic and lightly sautéed (prior to any color), add the capers. After 1 to 2 minutes, add the red onion and jalapeño. Sweat the onions until tender, then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, wine, olives and sugar. Cook the mixture over high heat in order to reduce the liquid. The sauce should be thick and chunky with just a hint of liquid. The olives and capers should add enough salt without needing to add kosher salt, but check the seasoning once the appropriate consistency is reached.

Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the sides that had the skin on them in the quinoa flakes. In a hot sauté pan, add the olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan), swirl it gently and lay the snapper, quinoa side down, in the hot oil. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, gently flip over the fish and add the butter. Tilt the pan toward you and baste the quinoa flakes with the melted butter. After 2 to 3 minutes, the fish should be firm. Remove the fish from the pan, let the fillets rest for 3 to 5 minutes then serve with the sauce. The fish can also be placed directly into the sauce after sautéing on the first side—the hot sauce will finish cooking the fish.