Friday, February 16, 2007

Fucshia Snapper with Dinosaur Kale

Welcome to another installment of Friday night fish recipes for the single girl. Tonight I bring you a gorgeous, girlie-pink, deliciously spicy-sweet recipe fit for a queen. And yes, yes it is snapper. Again. What? It just works. Plus, it's like... my favorite. Aside from grouper, which seems to be difficult to get your hands on around here. Well, really I'd just have to get into the car and drive uptown but I'm a lazy biotch, okay? I, uh... like to... support my local... uhm... giant chain organic grocery... which, uh... may or may not drive out my favorite locally owned joint.... uhm... just... uh... shut up.

Seriously, I had sole last week... it wasn't exciting enough to post so I decided not to bore you with the details. It was very tasty... it involved potatoes, shallots, and wood ear mushrooms.

But this! This is going to come out the MOST gorgeous color AND be tasty AND be eeeeeaaaasssssy as a $2 hooker.

You will need:

1 handful still-firm thusly slightly tart and fairly acidic kumquats
1 blood orange
1 lemon
2 tbsps garlic & chili infused olive oil
1 small bunch dinosaur (lacinato) kale
1 small onion
1 healthy snapper fillet


Same cooking drill as before, 400° oven, yada yada - I put mine together by putting all the liquids in a bowl so, the juice of 1/2 blood orange, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and your infused oil (with some chili flakes for added punch).

Then, slice your kumquats into 1/4" slices (very thin), slice your onions very thin and make a chiffonade of your kale - being careful not to take any of the bulky stems).

Make up your packet and slap in your fillet. Pour your liquid over the top making sure to coat the whole piece. Lay your sliced onions over the top (look, I'm the daughter of a girl of norweigan decent... onion goes on absolutely everything - I even make an onion pie when I feel so moved), then your kumquats, then your kale chiffonade.

Close up your packet, toss it in the oven and wait for the aromas to start overtaking the kitchen. Ultimately, probably a whole half hour depending on the size of your fillet.

Truly delicious. And so damnably pretty, such color in such a grey and white and crunchy world. Even the blue sky felt hard as a marble today. Anyway, I enoyed this with a nice Luzon Jumilla.