Pan Seared Florida Snapper & Shrimp in a Shallot, Parsley and Vermouth Cream Sauce

What do you do with 10 shrimp and a couple of snapper fillets in the freezer when you have to make dinner for two? You look in the refrigerator find some heavy cream, one shallot and all of a sudden the creativity juices begin to flow through your mind.

This is one of those typical dishes that you find in a fancy restaurant's menu that you think is very involved when it really isn't. It's the title on the menu that is, not the dish. The big challenge is cooking it in one dish so you dont have to spend hours in the kitchen cleaning after yourself! If you have to impress a boyfriend or a lover, or even your own husband, here is what you need.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 snapper or mahi mahi fillets
8 to 10 shrimp
1/2 lemon
2 TB flour
3 TB butter
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 TB chopped parsley
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 TB white wine, rose or vermouth
red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
Parsley (optional)


Directions

Marinade the fish fillets in lemon and garlic for at least 1 hour. Pat dry and coat in flour.

Heat 1 TB butter in a skillet and in medium heat saute the garlic. Remove and throw away. You just want to flavor the butter. Turn the heat up a little and cook the fish fillets about 2 minutes on each side (depends on thickness, mine were fairly thin). Remove to a platter.

Add another 1TB of butter and briefly sautee the shrimp until pink. You can use cooked shrimp, just make sure heat is on high and you brown them quickly and remove to the platter with the fish fillets.

Add the last 1TB butter, sautee the shallots until transparent, add the parsley, add the wine, reduce, add the cream and boil down to half the original quantity. Add salt and pepper to taste and a shake of red pepper flakes.

Pour sauce over the fillets and the shrimp, adorn with some parsley if you have it (I didn't) and serve with yellow rice. Don't forget to light the candles and serve with a nice chilled white or dry rose.