Catch ‘em & Cook ‘em: South Beach Snapper
Ingredients
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1 C. milk
1/4 C. shelled, flaked crab meat
1/4 C cooked chopped shrimp
1/4 C. celery – finely chopped
1/4 C. green onion – finely chopped
Tbsp. parsley – finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
3 Lbs. snapper fillets
Salt and pepper
1/4 C. butter – melted
1. To make the filling, melt butter in saucepan, then stir in the flour.
2. Cook for one minute over medium heat, stirring constant
3. Gradually add the milk, cooking and stirring until thickened. Remove pan from the heat.
4. Add crab meat, shrimp, celery, green onion, parsley and salt.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. Season fillets with salt and pepper.
7. Divide the filling equally among the fillets, placing a heaping spoonful atop each one.
8. Roll each fillet around filling and secure with toothpicks.
9. Place rolls in a shallow ovenproof dish and bake for 30 minutes or until browned, basting occasionally with melted butter.
10. Garnish with whole, cooked shrimp and crab meat and serve with Lemon Cream Sauce.
Serves 6
Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 C. light cream
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
2 Egg yolks – lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
How to:
1. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in top of double boiler.
2. Stir in l Tbsp. flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
3. Gradually add 1 C. light cream, stirring and cooking until smooth and thickened.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Quickly add some of the hot sauce to the egg yolks and stir to combine. Then return egg mixture to double boiler.
6. Reduce heat and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until thickened.
7. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and stir.
8. Pour over the fish just before serving.
Serves 6
Capt. Dick May is the owner of Easy Rider Charters in Bokeelia. He can be reached at 239-283-3247 or easyridercharters.com. “Capt. Dick’s Seafood & Southern Country Cooking” (a new cookbook) can be ordered for $14.95 plus $3 postage by calling the number above or mailing a check (made out to Dick May) to 7989 Judge Bean Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922.