Red Snapper Florida Style

Name: Red Snapper Florida Style
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups dried black beans, picked over; 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped; 2 cloves garlic; 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; Kosher salt; 4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets; 2 tablespoons canola oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 green plantain, peeled and sliced paper-thin on a mandoline; Jalapeño Crema (recipe follows); Mango-Avocado Relish (recipe follows); Chive Oil (page 239; optional), for garnish; Juice of 2 limes; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 1 tablespoon honey; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced; 1/2 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced; 1/2 small red onion, finely diced; 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro; (makes about 2 cups); 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream; 1 large jalapeño chile, roasted, peeled, and seeded (see page 250); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; (makes 1/2 cup)

December 14, 2011

Florida, and in particular the city of Miami, has been home to the vibrant culture of Cuban immigrants for generations. Their cuisine has put its stamp on the state and on this dish, where black beans, flavored with chipotle, are pureed into an earthy, slightly chunky sauce that makes the bed for red snapper fillets encrusted in a crisp shell of green plantains. Cool and spicy jalapeño crema and a relish of sweet mango and creamy avocado garnish the fish with tropical continuity.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 4

Ingredients

Black Bean Sauce

1 1/2 cups dried black beans, picked over

1 small red onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt

Snapper

4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets

2 tablespoons canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 green plantain, peeled and sliced paper-thin on a mandoline

Jalapeño Crema (recipe follows)

Mango-Avocado Relish (recipe follows)

Chive Oil (page 239; optional), for garnish

MANGO-AVOCADO RELISH

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

1/2 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

(makes about 2 cups)

JALAPEÑO CREMA

1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

1 large jalapeño chile, roasted, peeled, and seeded (see page 250)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(makes 1/2 cup)

Preparation

Step 1
To make the black bean sauce, cover the beans by at least 2 inches with cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 2
Drain the beans, place in a medium saucepan, and add the onion, garlic, chipotles, and cumin. Pour in enough cold water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, adding more water if the beans appear dry, until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Step 3
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bean mixture to a food processor. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, season with salt, and process until almost smooth; the sauce should be a little chunky. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more of the cooking liquid.
Step 4
To cook the fish, brush the skin side of the snapper with oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Cover the surface of the fish with plantain slices, overlapping them. Brush the plantains with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and carefully place the fish in the pan, plantain side down. Cook until the crust is light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.
Step 6
Spoon some of the black bean sauce onto 4 plates and drizzle with some of the jalapeño crema. Set the salmon, plantain side up, on top. Spoon some mango-avocado relish next to the fish and garnish with chive oil, if desired.
MANGO-AVOCADO RELISH
Step 7
Whisk together the lime juice, oil, and honey in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the avocado, mango, red onion, and cilantro and mix gently to combine. The relish can be made 30 minutes in advance and kept at room temperature.
JALAPEÑO CREMA
Step 8
Combine the crème fraîche and jalapeño in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day before serving.

Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, (C) 2011 Clarkson Potter BOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby's Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill and Grill It! with Bobby Flay, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star. Brunch @ Bobby's debuted on the Cooking Channel in fall 2010 and America's Next Great Restaurant debuted in March 2011 on NBC. This is his eleventh book. His website is BobbyFlay.com.

TagsSouthern American Cuban Caribbean Black Bean Bean and Legume Vegetable Snapper Fish Seafood Chipotle Chile Plantain Avocado Main Dinner Gluten Free Nut Free Weeknight Meals Saute Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Black Bean Sauce

Snapper

MANGO-AVOCADO RELISH

JALAPEÑO CREMA

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

MANGO-AVOCADO RELISH

Step 7

JALAPEÑO CREMA

Step 8

Recipe notes