Pimenton-Roasted Red Snapper with Saffron Rice

First musical debut in New Orleans on the stage of Café Istanbul ten nights ago. Costumed in a metallic green taffeta dress that has seen me through fifteen years of diva moments. My hair has been there since the beginning, still reaching.

A thunderstorm is cracking the sky on glorious Memorial Day, somehow seems appropriate. Holed up inside on the couch to soothe my trembling bulldog while fat raindrops fog the living room windows, as though to seal us inside our steamy imaginations. The new grill is being christened with hail instead of raw meat sweat. That’s okay, how about roasting a red snapper in a bed of kosher salt?

Pimenton-Roasted Red Snapper with Herb Salad with Oven-Baked Saffron Rice

Adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons pimentón de la Vera (sweet smoked Spanish paprika)

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 lemon, sliced

6 cups kosher salt (30 ounces), plus more for seasoning

3 large egg whites, beaten

One 2-pound whole red snapper, cleaned

Ground black pepper

3 large bay leaves

5 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 cup celery leaves

1 cup parsley leaves

1/2 cup tarragon leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the pimentón and lemon zest. In a large bowl, mix the 6 cups of kosher salt with the egg whites and 1/2 cup of water until it resembles moist sand.
2. Spread a 1/4-inch-thick layer of the salt mixture in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet. Season the fish inside and out with black pepper and brush all over with the pimentón oil. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices and bay leaves and lay the snapper on the salt. Mound the remaining salt mixture on top, lightly packing it to completely cover the fish.
3. Bake the fish for about 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the fish through the salt registers 135°. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Crack the salt crust and discard it. Brush off any excess salt and transfer the fish to a platter.
4. In a large bowl, toss the celery with the celery leaves, parsley, tarragon, lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve alongside the fish.

 

Oven-Baked Saffron Rice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Small pinch of saffron threads

2 cups Carolina Gold or Carolina extra-long-grain white rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large ovenproof saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion, bay leaf and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice, coriander and saffron and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer over moderately high heat until nearly absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Cover the saucepan and bake the rice for 20 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Let stand for 15 minutes; fluff with a fork and serve.

Happy Memorial Day, y’all. Stay dry, stay alive, and stay vivid.