We had this dish for the New Year’s Eve. I went to my local fish market for the whole red snapper. They cleaned and filleted it for me on the spot. I kept the bones to fry as an exciting treat. The fish flesh itself became this wonderful dish.

red snapper with clam and mussel sauce

It stuck to my pan a bit which made it tough to have the final product look cute. One option could have been to use more oil but I’d already decided to fry the bones, so it seemed excessive. It tasted damn fine, despite falling apart and sticking to the pan a little.

The sauce is based on a recipe our friend Kristen prepared for us before. I added mussels and cherry tomatoesto it. It was good but maybe the tomatoes were too acidic. Next time I’m gonna leave them out.

sautéing red snapper

Sautéd Red Snapper Fillets in Garlicky Clam and Mussel Sauce

2 large red snapper fillets, skin on
½ lb live mussels in shells or more, cleaned with “beards” removed
½ lb live clams in shells or more, cleaned
½ lb ripe cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1 shallot, minced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup dry white wine
Red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

How to:

Add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium temperature. Sauté the garlic and shallots until translucent. Turn heat to high then add tomatoes, salt, pepper and wine. Cook with pan uncovered for a couple of minutes to allow sauce to develop. Add clams and mussels. Cover pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until shells open. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, using a cast iron pan or a skillet, heat remaining oil on high. Place red snapper fillet, flesh side down, and cook for about 5 minutes. Using a spatula flip onto skin side and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan.

Serve fish plated with a ladle of clam mussel sauce. Drizzle with some extra olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese to finish. We served this with a side of mushrooms with red quinoa.