Most of the fish we eat is caught by my husband. When the freezer gets low, he goes fishing with his friends and replenishes our stock. He catches, cleans and fillets the fish. My job is to store and cook it. And Of Course we both enjoy eating it. 😋
On one of his fishing trips, he went way into the Gulf of Mexico and brought home a catch of Vermilion Snapper.
I was familiar with Red Snapper, but I had never heard of Vermilion Snapper before. I love the pink color of the fish. Its meat is milder and sweeter than the Red Snapper. It is very moist and melts in your mouth.
The Vermilion Snapper is smaller, and more slender than its Red cousin. Also, it has a forked tail instead of a flat tail. Another name for these fish is Beeliners, because they live in open waters, where they use their precision and speed to make a beeline to chase small fish as their prey. Unlike the Red Snapper, they are not bottom feeders.
Usually, my husband brings home a lot of fish. I cook some right away so we can have it at its freshest, and I freeze the rest for future meals. I am going to show you how to prepare the fish for proper storage in the freezer. I am also going to show you one of my Vermilion Snapper Recipes.
STORING THE FISH
Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with a silicone mat.
This will allow the fillets to freeze slightly, so that when you vacuum seal them in a bag, liquid will not leak out during the sealing process.
Write the date and name of the fish on a vacuum seal bag.
Place the fillets in the vacuum seal bag so that they lie flat.
Using a vacuum sealing machine on the gentle setting, seal the bags closed.
Sealing and storing the fish properly will keep the fillets fresh for up to a year. Since I am a pescatarian, I love having a freezer full of fresh fish on hand. I am so lucky to have a husband who lovingly catches fish for me.😊
COOKING THE FISH
Ingredients:
- 2 Vermilion Snapper fillets
- 1 Tbsp grape seed oil
- 2 pats of butter
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp of red chili flakes
- 1 tsp Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek leaves)
- salt and pepper to taste
- wedge of lemon to squeeze on top
Prep:
- Crush the dried Fenugreek leaves between the palms of your hand to release their oils and aroma. Place the resulting powder in a glass dish that is big enough to fit the fish fillets.
- Add the rest of the spices, along with the salt and pepper to make a dry rub.
- Place the fillets in the glass dish, and coat both sides with the dry rub.
- Drizzle on the grape seed oil and rub it gently into the fish.
I usually cover the let the seasoned fish fillets with plastic wrap, and let them sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before pan frying them. This allows the spices to infuse into the fish.
Pan Frying:
- Place a non-stick pan on medium heat
- Add the butter. Let it melt and turn slightly brown. Browning the butter brings out a nutty flavor.
- Add the fish fillets pretty, presentation side down.
- Pan fry until a crust forms. About 3 to 4 minutes.
- Flip the fillets. Let cook for another 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and squeeze lemon on top.
Cover with a lid and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes. While the fish is resting plate your side dish. I decided to serve the pan fried Vermilion Snapper with Curried Cabbage-Punjabi Style. I plated the cabbage on the bottom and placed the fish on top.
I haven’t added any starch so that I can stick with my Ketogenic life style. You can serve it with whatever side dishes you like best.
I wrote this post to showcase the fresh fish my husband lovingly catches for me. Fresh caught fish is absolutely the best.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. You can use it with any white fish. If you make it, please let me know how it turns out. I always love hearing from you!!!
Bye for now 🖐💕
cookingwithloveandspices 