CHEFS' RECIPES
Crisp-skinned snapper with chestnut mushrooms

Crisp-skinned snapper with chestnut mushrooms

Serves 6



30 gm   butter, coarsely chopped
1   clove of garlic, crushed
600 gm   chestnut mushrooms
2 (about 750gm each)   snapper fillets, skin on
50 gm (1/3 cup)   plain flour
200 ml   clarified butter (see note)
1 tbsp   finely chopped flat-leaf parsley


1 Heat butter in a frying pan over low heat, add garlic, then mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 Using a sharp knife, remove tail portion from snapper and discard, then cut each fillet into 3 pieces. Dust the skin-side of the snapper lightly with flour and place a piece of baking paper over the flesh side. Melt clarified butter in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat until a heat haze appears. Add fish, skin-side down, place another pan on top to weigh down fish and cook for 2 minutes or until skin is crisp. Remove pan and paper, turn fish and cook for 2 minutes or until just cooked.
3 To serve, return mushrooms to the heat and warm through, scatter with chopped parsley and divide among plates. Top with snapper, scatter with sea salt and serve immediately.

Note For clarified butter, melt cold cubed butter, pour into a jug, stand, skim surface, then pour off clear butter and reserve, discarding the milk fat – 250gm of butter will make about 200gm of clarified butter.

Drink Suggestion Light, dry pinot noir rosé.

RECIPE Steve Hodges, Fish Face PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Rodney Dunn


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