Fried Snapper with Stone Crab and Spicy Coconut-Basil Cream Seafood Recipe

A tasty dish with fresh seafood
A plate of fried snapper, topped with crab and coconut-basil cream sauce over a bed of jasmine rice.
Serve this amazing snapper dish with jasmine rice and sautéed vegetables. Jon Whittle / Marlin

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Snapper—or better, hogfish—is the ideal culinary vehicle. It accepts the flavors introduced to it but is still able to maintain its own firm and mild-tasting character. Paired with lumps of rich stone crab in a spicy coconut cream makes all the work that much more worthwhile. This recipe goes perfectly with a cold and refreshing Orange Crush Slush.

Ingredients | Serves 4

  • 4 4-oz. snapper fillets
  • 2 raw eggs, scrambled
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 12 heirloom grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small habanero chili pepper, de-seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 ear sweet corn, cut from cob
  • 2 cans coconut cream
  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 10 basil leaves, torn
  • 1 lb. stone crab meat, cooked and shelled
  • 1 lime, cut into quarters
  • Peanut oil for frying
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. In a pot over medium heat, sauté ­vegetables and garlic with a little olive oil until soft, ­adding the tomatoes last.
  2. Add coconut cream and bring to a simmer; add salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Prepare rice according to package.
  4. Add basil and honey to the sauce; let ­simmer until it begins to reduce. Keep warm.
  5. Dry fillets with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  6. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
  7. Dredge fillets first in flour, then dip in egg wash, and press both sides into panko.
  8. Fry fillets on both sides until opaque, approximately 3 minutes per side; remove to drain on a wire rack. Keep warm.
  9. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth; strain and keep warm.

To assemble, top rice with sauce, fish and crab; garnish with fresh basil and lime.

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