The Sunday Spoon

Blackened Red Snapper

with Pine Nut Roasted Broccoli and Beurre Monté

Serves 2

I’ve been on a big fish kick lately, and this one’s definitely a recent favorite. It was inspired by the simple blackened fish at S&D Oyster in Dallas. It was so good that I just had to try making something similar at home. My version is pan-seared red snapper with roasted broccoli tossed in lemon, parmesan, and pine nuts, plus an easy beurre monté sauce. If you want to make it more of a hearty dinner, I recommend serving with cajun rice or roasted garlic potatoes. This is another great weeknight dish as it comes together quickly, is healthy (ignoring the butter sauce lol), and tastes phenomenal.

When I shop, I like to buy a few extra ingredients other than my basics each week and use them in various ways, trying to create different flavors using them as well. This week’s fun picks were pine nuts and parmesan (see my summer salad recipe for an easy homemade pesto. More to come too!). I have also been learning a lot about emulsifying sauces and this beurre monté is SO easy but really elevates this dish. This dinner is restaurant quality on a weeknight – dig in!

Ingredients

Broccoli
  • 3-4 cups broccoli
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Olive oil
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1½ tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 to 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil leaves
Red Snapper
  • 2 red snapper fillets
  • Blackened seasoning (I prefer homemade but store-bought is fine)
  • Olive oil
Blackened Seasoning
  • 1 ½ tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp ground dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to spice preference)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
Beurre Monté
  • ¼ cup water
  • 6–8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 425°F. While it heats up, prep the broccoli, mince the garlic, and toast the pine nuts. To toast the pine nuts, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Spread the broccoli florets out on a large sheet pan, toss with the garlic and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Put the pan in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through until the broccoli is cooked and a little charred.

While the broccoli roasts, make the blackened seasoning if you are doing it homemade. Next, prep the rest of the broccoli ingredients – slice the lemon, grate fresh parmesan, and julienne the basil. Then, generously season the fish on all sides.

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snapper fillets and sear for 5-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the fish is cooked through and the edges are crisp.

While the fish cooks, make your beurre monté: bring about ¼ cup water to a light simmer in a small saucepan. Immediately reduce the heat to low and begin whisking in cold cubes of butter, a few at a time, letting each batch emulsify before adding more. Keep whisking until you have a silky sauce and season with a pinch of salt, if needed.

When the broccoli comes out of the oven, immediately toss it with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, the toasted pine nuts, parmesan, and fresh basil. Plate it up with the seared snapper and spoon the beurre monté on the plate and fish. Enjoy!

I try to keep dinners relatively healthy and light during the week, so this will definitely become a weeknight staple for me, and I hope it does for you too! You can easily swap out the sides each week to switch it up too. Another great way to use the fish is to make blackened fish tacos with some fresh coleslaw and chili lime aioli. Enjoy!

Come in, stay a while.

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