Crisp-Skinned Snapper with Eggplant and Tomato Relish
Okay, so my snapper doesn’t have crispy or actually any skin at all (as that is all I could get on the day), but it still was scrumptious!
The eggplant and tomato relish was a perfect accompaniment to both the snapper and the spinach, making a most delicious meal.
May’s delicious magazine includes an article on cafes and restaurants with kitchen gardens and chefs who are most interested in not only seasonal cooking, but sustainability and awareness of where our food is coming from.
My husband and I also try to adopt a sustainable lifestyle at home, including growing our own herbs, fruit and vegetables as well as composting, worm farming, running water tanks and solar panels and of course keeping our beloved ducks (which we don’t eat, we use to keep the bug population down to reduce the need to spray our plants).
We eat organically as we believe this is a more sustainable approach to food production with the plus that it is healthier for us and the food tastes much better in most cases.
This recipe comes from a restaurant called Harvest in Perth. They have a vegetable garden on the plot next door where they grow herbs, edible flowers and hard to find fruit and vegetables. Luckily this dish doesn’t call for any hard to find vegetables! It is relatively quick and easy to make and as I mentioned earlier, rather delicious. I encourage you to give it a go!
- Crisp-Skinned Snapper with Eggplant and Tomato Relish
- Serves 4
- 1 eggplant, cut into 2cm pieces (I used 2 small eggplants, totalling just over 400g)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 7 anchovy fillets in oil, drained, chopped
- ½ long red chilli, seeds removed, sliced
- 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 500g tomatoes, chopped and allow to drain
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 1 large bunch English spinach, stalks removed, washed and dried
- 4 x 150g snapper fillets, pin-boned, skin lightly scored
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, optional
- To make the relish:
- Cut up the tomatoes and place in a colander with a bowl underneath and allow any excess juice to drain off.
- Place the eggplant in a colander and lightly salt. Set aside for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.
- Heat a large frypan over medium-high heat.
- When hot, add the oil and eggplant and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Return the pan to medium heat with 2 teaspoons of oil.
- Add the garlic, anchovies and chilli, and cook, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add thyme, tomato, bay leaf, vinegar and sugar and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add eggplant and cook for a further 1 minute or until heated through.
- Set aside and keep warm.
- For the fish:
- Heat a large frypan over medium-high heat.
- Add 2 teaspoons of oil and the spinach and cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Return pan to medium heat. Place a sheet of baking paper in pan (this ensures the fish skin does not stick to the pan), then add 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan*.
- Cook fish, skin-side down, and cook for 3 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- Turn over and cook for a further 1 minute or until just cooked. Season, then rest the fish for 2 minutes.
- Divide the relish and spinach among 4 plates, then top with the fish.
- Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.
- *Note: I bought snapper without skin, so we just cooked it straight in the pan without the baking paper
Per Serve (with spinach): 1263kJ or 301 calories; P 37g Fat 13g SFat 2g CHO7g Fibre 6g
