Snapper Piperade
“What’s in the fridge” is a regular game we play, especially on Sunday night. Maybe there’s a lone pack of colorful peppers there and I think… curry? Or maybe spotting a few fresh bay leaves reminds me a country meal in the Basque region of France. A memory surfaces, and we’re serpentining through the picturesque Pyrenees on our way to San Sebastian, enjoying the French side of Basque Country with its lush green countryside, ubiquitous red-shuttered white stucco farmhouses, and traditional Basque food, and a stop in the walled village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port for the most wonderfully simple lunch – piperade, and hence the inspiration for the night’s dinner.
Kabie Note
My favorite centerpieces are usually the simple ones. A french hand-tie of an abundance of a single flower.
Piperade
- olive oil – enough
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 bell peppers – yellow red and orange, diced
- 1 (14.55 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Fresh Thyme – 2 sprigs
- 1 Fresh bay leaf
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauté onion in a little olive oil and butter on medium heat until softened.
Add peppers and continue to cook about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes. Cook an additional 10 minutes until vegetables are soft but still have texture
Remove the bay lea and thyme stems.
Served here with seared red snapper and jasmine rice straight from the skillet, but just as easily served with chicken, eggs, or spooned by itself over rice.
Sautéed Snapper
For crisp, golden fish, pat the fillet completely dry and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place it in lightly oiled hot skillet, carefully laying it away from you. Leave it undisturbed until it releases easily from the pan, then turn and finish in a 350 degee oven. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the fish.
