Tai Snapper with Herbed Lemon Oil
Cooking snapper on a Himalayan salt plank gently seasons the fish as it cooks and adds a subtle mineral note. If you can’t find tai snapper, red snapper, grouper and dorade are all good substitutes, though you’ll have to adjust the cooking time based on the size and thickness of the fish.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs. lemon oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 whole Tai snapper, about 1 1/2 lb. (750 g), gutted and scaled
- 4 thin lemon slices
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- Olive oil as needed
Directions
Place a Himalayan salt plank on a grill and preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Preheat the salt plate for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the grill registers 450°F (220°C).
In a small bowl, stir together the lemon oil, lemon zest, parsley and red pepper flakes to taste. Season with salt and set aside.
Season the cavity of the fish with salt and black pepper. Stuff the fish with the lemon slices, garlic, shallot and thyme sprigs. Lightly season the fish with black pepper and rub both sides generously with olive oil. Using kitchen twine, tie the fish to prevent the stuffing from falling out of the cavity.
Drizzle the hot salt plank with olive oil; this will create a barrier that will prevent the fish from becoming too salty. Place the fish on the salt plank, cover the grill and cook 5 minutes. Using a fish spatula, gently turn the fish over and cook until the flesh flakes apart easily, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, remove the twine and drizzle with the herbed lemon oil. Serve immediately. Serves 2.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen