Fresh Florida Red Snapper With Tomato Corn Salsa

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There is no greater pleasure than having friends who go to the coast and bring back freshly caught red snapper ready to go in the pan.  Nothing.  Really fresh food is so rare these days that being able to enjoy it is a real treat. 

Just this week we got a call from one of my daughter's friends saying that her husband and a friend had just come back from the Gulf with a cooler full of fresh snapper they had just caught.  That evening, she showed up at the house with the fish already cleaned and filleted.  Now THAT is what I call a really good friend.

When you get fish this fresh, don't gild the lily. A little butter or olive oil, garlic, lemon and onions will do the trick.  If you want to be a little more creative, do what I did and sautee some corn, parley and fresh tomatoes and serve over or next to the snapper.  Steamed red potatoes in butter and parsley ft the meal to a tee. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs red snapper fillets, cleaned

1lemon
1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

Olive oil

2 TB butter

1 ear fresh corn

1 tomato

1/2 cup fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Flour for dusting

Directions

Marinade the snapper for at least 2 hrs. in 1/2 the onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves mashed and half the juice of one lemon. Discard the marinade.

Warm oven to 300 degrees

When ready, pat the fillets dry in paper towels and lightly dust with flour on both sides.  Shake off excess.  In a skillet, melt 2TB of butter and 2TB of oil on medium high and add the snapper.  Cook approximately 4 minutes on each side.  You might have to lower the temperature a bit so butter doesn't burn.. Cooking time may vary depending on size of fillets.  Transfer the fillets to the oven to keep warm.

Now, if the pan is very dirty, wipe it with a paper towel.

Cut off the kernels from 1 fresh ear of corn.  Slice the other onion half.  Chop the tomato and parsley 

Add 1 TB each butter and oil and saute 2 cloves of garlic mashed and finely chopped.  Add the onions and corn. cover and cook for a couple of minutes stirring frequently.  Uncover and add the tomato and juice. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 2 more minutes.  Add parsley and squeeze the other lemon half over it.  Cover and cook 1 minute.

Remove the fillets from the oven to a serving platter.  Pour the tomato, corn  and onion sauce over it and sprinkle more parsley on top.  Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Photos Lindaraxa