Pan Fried Snapper with Cauliflower and Watercress Salad
Serves: 2
Time: approx 30 mins
The first time I cooked this dish I made it with Orange Roughy, a deliciously delicate fish with quite a subtle flavour. However it isn’t always available and trying to get an honest answer from your local fishmonger as to whether or not it is sustainably sourced is a bit of a guessing game. Instead, I have used fresh snapper.
Leftovers
Even if I did like leftover fish (which I don’t) this dish wouldn’t be much of a leftovers meal. I am going to instead have a couple of hard boiled eggs for lunch.
What you'll need
2 portions of a delicate white fish such as snapper (skin off, bones out)
1/4 cauliflower
1 pink grapefruit
1/2 a bunch of watercress
1 large avocado
1/2 a cucumber
2 tablespoons of butter
1 lemon
From the pantry
olive oil
salt and pepper
Optional Lunch Xtra’s
4 eggs
Feeding Four
I have added two pieces of snapper, 1/4 cauliflower, 1 pink grapefruit, 1 avocado to your shopping list, you just need to double the rest of the ingredients that you will already have.
Prep and Cook
Cook Cauliflower
Cut cauliflower into florets and cover completely in a pot with cold water.
Put on the stove to boil with a pinch of salt.
Cook for 10 minutes until completely soft, drain off all the water and add 1 tablespoon of butter then blitz till smooth using a stick blender.
Season with salt and pepper.
Take Fish Out
Remove your fish from the fridge so that it can come to room temp.
Prep Salad
Pick the watercress and wash thoroughly under cold water.
Use a sharp knife to peel the skin off your grapefruit and try not to have any white left on the fruit. Carefully slice out segments of fruit.
Peel and cut the avocado into wedges.
Slice cucumber into rounds.
Pat it dry
Sometimes when you unwrap your fish it can come out a bit wet, so it pays to pat the surface dry with a paper towel before you season.
Cook Fish
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non stick fry pan.
Season both sides of your fish with salt and pepper, then lay your fish down in the pan presentation side down (the opposite side to any bloodlines).
Cook for 2 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan swilling it around and squeeze over half the juice of your lemon.
With snapper, because it is quite a flaky fish I like to cook it through to around 80% on its presentation side, so pay attention to how the colour is changing to a creamy white as it creeps up the fish.
Flip your fish and take the pan off the heat.
Plate it Pretty
Toss the salad with olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh squeeze over the other half of your lemon.
Use a spoon to spread a large crescent shape of cauliflower across half your plate.
Place the fish on top of your cauliflower and build the salad beside it.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
Boil up a couple of eggs for 7 minutes then travel them in the shells and peel when your ready to eat them. sprinkle with salt and pepper.