RED SNAPPER FLORIDA STYLE

Red Snapper Florida Style image

Florida, and in particular the city of Miami, has been home to the vibrant culture of Cuban immigrants for generations. Their cuisine has put its stamp on the state and on this dish, where black beans, flavored with chipotle, are pureed into an earthy, slightly chunky sauce that makes the bed for red snapper fillets encrusted in a crisp shell of green plantains. Cool and spicy jalapeño crema and a relish of sweet mango and creamy avocado garnish the fish with tropical continuity.

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 26

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried black beans, picked over
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets
2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 green plantain, peeled and sliced paper-thin on a mandoline
Jalapeño Crema (recipe follows)
Mango-Avocado Relish (recipe follows)
Chive Oil (page 239; optional), for garnish
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
(makes about 2 cups)
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1 large jalapeño chile, roasted, peeled, and seeded (see page 250)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
(makes 1/2 cup)

Steps:

To make the black bean sauce, cover the beans by at least 2 inches with cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Drain the beans, place in a medium saucepan, and add the onion, garlic, chipotles, and cumin. Pour in enough cold water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, adding more water if the beans appear dry, until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bean mixture to a food processor. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, season with salt, and process until almost smooth; the sauce should be a little chunky. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more of the cooking liquid.
To cook the fish, brush the skin side of the snapper with oil and season all over with salt and pepper. Cover the surface of the fish with plantain slices, overlapping them. Brush the plantains with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and carefully place the fish in the pan, plantain side down. Cook until the crust is light golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.
Spoon some of the black bean sauce onto 4 plates and drizzle with some of the jalapeño crema. Set the salmon, plantain side up, on top. Spoon some mango-avocado relish next to the fish and garnish with chive oil, if desired.
Whisk together the lime juice, oil, and honey in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the avocado, mango, red onion, and cilantro and mix gently to combine. The relish can be made 30 minutes in advance and kept at room temperature.
Combine the crème fraîche and jalapeño in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day before serving.