A delicate and crisp oven-baked snapper sits in smooth, buttery beurre blanc alongside thinly sliced potato stacks for a sophisticated and flavoursome French dish.
Ingredients
- 6 snapper fillets, skin on
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g butter
POTATO STACKS
- 1 shallot
- 3 potatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) fish stock
- 30 g butter
BUERRE BLANC
- 125 g cold butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup (60 ml) pouring cream
Steps
Trim sides of fish fillets to neaten into rectangular shapes; lightly score fish skin at 1 cm intervals (to help the skin brown and prevent it curling). Refrigerate until ready to cook.
POTATO STACKS Preheat oven to 220 C. Peel and finely chop shallot. Peel potatoes; slice potatoes finely using a mandoline or V-slicer. Place potatoes in medium bowl with crushed garlic, shallot and oil; season. Cut out six 8.5 cm-rounds of baking paper. Brush paper with a little extra oil, place in base of small shallow baking dish. Layer potato mixture, into stacks on each round of baking paper. Carefully pour stock into dish. Cut butter into six pieces, dot each stack with butter. Bake, uncovered, about 30 mins or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
BEURRE BLANC Chop butter into 1 cm cubes. Combine wine, vinegar and juice in small saucepan; bring to the boil. Boil, until reduced by two-thirds. Add cream, return to the boil; reduce heat. Whisk in cold butter, one piece at a time, whisking between additions until sauce is smooth and thickened slightly.
Preheat oven to 200 C. Season fish with salt, pepper and juice. Heat oil and butter in large ovenproof frying pan; cook fish, skin-side down, about 3 mins or until skin is crisp, turn fillets over. Transfer pan to oven; cook, fish, uncovered, about 4 mins or until cooked to your liking.
Slide potatoes from baking paper rounds onto serving plates; serve with fish, skin-side up, drizzle with beurre blanc. Top with chives, if you like.
TIP If your pan doesn’t have an ovenproof handle, cover the handle well with several layers of foil.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au