Note: This recipe originally appeared in the Nov. 30, 2019, issue of Wine Spectator.
Seared Red Snapper With Yellow Squash, Blistered Tomatoes & Opal Basil
• 2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 yellow squash, cut into equal-size pieces, about 1 inch
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges
• 1 branch opal basil or Thai basil, about 10 leaves
• 8 red snapper fillets
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer tomatoes to oven and roast until they have started to burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, toss the squash with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast-iron skillet set over high. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally. When the squash has begun to brown, add garlic to taste, plus 1 tablespoon butter, stirring to melt. Continue cooking until the squash is well-browned but not blackened. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon, basil and roasted tomatoes. Remove from heat.
3. Pat the fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat two large sauté pans with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the fish skin-side down and cook until skin has begun to brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. (If all of the fish doesn’t fit in the pans, cook in batches.) Carefully flip the fish and turn off the heat, leaving the fish in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes to finish cooking. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
WINE MATCH
David Gordon’s Selection: Domaine St.-Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape White 2017 (93, $62)
Wine Spectator Alternates: Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape White 2017 (92, $50)
Michel Gassier Costières de Nîmes White Nostre Païs 2017 (91, $22)
