Recipe of the week: Gulf Fish Pontchartrain
This simple, yet rich and elegant dish highlights freshly-caught snapper and succulent crabmeat. It’s a dish that can be prepared successfully on an outdoor grill or in a hot skillet on the stove. Judge the doneness of the fish by poking it with your finer: If the fish is quite firm to the touch, it’s probably done. Any doubts can easily be resolved by making a small cut to the center of the fillet: if the meat is opaque, the fish is safely cooked through.
4 (6 to 7 ounce) Gulf Fish fillets
1 cup (8 ounces, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
Kosher or seat salt and white pepper, preferably freshly ground
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup lump crabmeat, picked over for bits of shell
Thin slices of lemon and parsley sprigs, for serving
Warm a platter in a low oven and preheat a grill, if desired, or place a large heavy skillet over high medium-high heat.
Brush both sides of each fillet with the melted butter, using about ¼ of a cup. Season both sides to taste with salt and white pepper.
Place a small saucepan over high heat and add the remaining butter. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and white pepper to taste, and add the chopped parsley. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Grill or sauté the fish for 2 to 4 minutes
per side, depending on their thickness, until done through, firm and opaque at the center. Transfer to the warm platter and cover with aluminum foil while you quickly finish the sauce.
Return the lemon-butter mixture to the heat and stir in the crabmeat. Toss gently for 1½ to 2 minutes, just to warm the crabmeat through. Spoon the crabmeat butter sauce over the fillets, garnish the platter with lemon slices and parsley and serve at once.