Monday, October 5, 2015

Blackened Snapper, Garlic Braised Brussels Sprouts, and Steamed Broccoli


This one is a retro post from an earlier date! As I've mentioned before, I picked up a large amount of fresh seafood from Joe Patti's in Pensacola, FL. If you've never been there it's a must!!! They have the best and freshest seafood on the gulf. And the experience is amazing! Joe himself comes in and calls out the customer numbers and often gives suggestions on the best catch of the day. They will also pack your cooler with ice for travel. Any-who, back to the delicious picture above...

I would suggest cooking the vegetables first, as they take longer and are easier to keep warm. I always like to serve fish hot and fresh off the grill, or in this case skillet. 

Brussels Sprouts- This recipe was adapted from this blog Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts
1 pound/ bag Brussels Sprouts/ cut in half ( you can even use less if you don't have many people to feed)
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon (optional- I did not use this time)
4 cloves garlic- minced (also can use garlic powder)
kosher salt- to taste. 

1.) preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2.) Mix olive oil, bacon, garlic, salt, and 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar together.
3.) Place Brussels Sprouts in large mixing bowl and toss with above mixture until coated. (sometimes I make a little more of the coating depending on how much flavor you want)
4.) Spray baking sheet with olive oil and spread brussels sprouts in one layer. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until tender. 
5.) While baking, mix the honey and remaining balsamic vinegar together.
6.) Remove from oven and place back into mixing bowl. Drizzle with honey mixture and toss to coat. (again you may want to make extra honey mixture- it really depends on how much you like)

Broccoli-
Broccoli is one of the easiest side dishes I make and it's almost embarrassing to post it- I feel like I'm cheating! 
1.) Chop broccoli into bite size pieces. Place in colander and run water over broccoli to clean and also add moisture for steaming.
2.) Place "wet" broccoli into large microwaveable bowl (one that you can cover with a plate). 
3.) Cut small pieces of butter (or tiny spoons of margarine) and evenly distribute, or I like to think of as tucking or nestling it into the broccoli. 
4.) Season with whatever flavor you desire. Our favorite is Tony Chachere's. Give the broccoli a nice dusting, but not too much as a little bit goes a long way. 
5.) Place in microwave and cover. Heat for 2 minutes, take out, stir, recover, and heat for one more minute. This will steam the broccoli. Check for desired tenderness- everyone likes their broccoli different. Just add 30 seconds or a minute until it's how you like it. I normally just leave it covered in the microwave until we're ready to eat and it continues to steam. 


The snapper was easy. I used Old Bay Seasoning on the fish and then cooked it in a very hot skillet. drizzle a small amount of cooking oil in skillet and heat to very high heat. While the skillet is heating up, coat both sides of the fish with the seasoning. CAREFULLY place fish on hot skillet- beware! The oil might sizzle or pop when you place the fish down. This is a smoky process, so also make sure the hood fan is on, or you have an extra fan nearby, and it's probably a good idea to open an outside door. As it sounds, cook fish on one side until it appears lightly blackened- NOT CHARRED AND CRISPY, but blackened (see picture above) and flip to the other side. Do the same on the other side. Check fish for internal temperature of 130. If the blackening occurs before your internal temp is reached, you can always finish the cooking in the oven. Heat the oven to about 350 or 400 and that should easily bring your fish to temp in a few minutes. 

Once everything is ready have fun plating it! the two green vegetables really pop against the dark blackened fish! enjoy!

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