Grilled Redfish with Red Rice and Lemon Butter Sauce
Created by Ralph Brennan of Red Fish Grill
Comfort food, chef Ralph Brennan believes, means using pure, familiar ingredients in soothing, no-nonsense ways, like this redfish.
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , chopped
- 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) cold, unsalted butter , cut into tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground pepper
Rice:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium onion , chopped
- 1 stalk celery , diced
- 3 small cloves garlic , minced
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 4 green onions , thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes , diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 small dried bay leaves
Fish:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , plus more for greasing
- 6 (7-ounce) red snapper ' ' or flounder or sea bass fillets, skin removed
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 2 lemons , cut into 6 wedges each
- Flat-leaf parsley sprigs, for garnish
Directions
To make sauce: In a small saucepan, combine wine, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, garlic and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-high and continue to boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, 4 tablespoons at a time, whisking until just melted. Butter should emulsify and thicken sauce slightly. (If the first batch melts too quickly and thins out sauce, turn heat to low, then continue.) Whisk in lemon zest, salt and pepper and set sauce aside.
To make rice: Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice, green onions, tomatoes and parsley. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/4 cup water, chicken broth, salt and bay leaves, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand.
To make fish: Preheat grill or grill pan; grease with olive oil. Brush snapper fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Grill fillets over medium-high heat until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Grill lemon wedges on medium-high heat until marked on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.
Reheat sauce over low heat. Do not allow it to simmer or the sauce will separate. Remove bay leaves from rice, then spoon rice onto plates. Top with snapper fillets and sauce. Garnish with grilled lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.
To make rice: Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice, green onions, tomatoes and parsley. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/4 cup water, chicken broth, salt and bay leaves, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand.
To make fish: Preheat grill or grill pan; grease with olive oil. Brush snapper fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Grill fillets over medium-high heat until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Grill lemon wedges on medium-high heat until marked on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.
Reheat sauce over low heat. Do not allow it to simmer or the sauce will separate. Remove bay leaves from rice, then spoon rice onto plates. Top with snapper fillets and sauce. Garnish with grilled lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.
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