One Fish, Two Fish

Crispy Yellow Tail Snapper with Tomatoes, White Beans & Swiss Chard

INGREDIENTS

• 2-8 oz. snapper fillets, skin on (sea bass, halibut or cod)
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-15.5 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 bunches rainbow swiss chard, leaves only roughly chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth, add more for a lovely broth
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, optional
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare fish by bringing it to room temperature.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomatoes to the pan and cook for 10 min or until they soften.
3. Add white beans and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
4. Make sure the fish is as dry as possible before cooking. Moisture is your enemy here. Pat the fish dry, especially the skin side, with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
5. Season fish with salt and pepper just before cooking; the salt will draw moisture to the surface of the fish.
6. Place the fish skin-side down into a hot pan that has some oil in it. Do this front to back, so if the hot oil splatters, it does so away from you. Do not crowd the pan; if there is too much fish in the pan, it will steam rather than roast.
7. Depending on the size and weight of the fillets, the fish may try to curl up; use a spatula to press the fish fillet flat to the pan. The fish will relax and lie flat after 10 to 20 seconds under the spatula.
8. Finally, you want to control your cooktop's heat. If it's too hot, the fish skin will burn. If it's too low, the skin won't get crispy. Start fish on high heat, then give the pan a bit of time to recover temperature after you add the fish. This usually takes 30 to 60 seconds depending on how much fish you have in the pan and the power of your cooktop. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook the fish to 75 percent of your preferred doneness (3-5 min). Flip the fish so the flesh side is down for the last 25 percent of cooking. When cooking thick fillets, you can continue with medium-high or medium heat. If you have thinner fillets, turn the heat down for this last bit of cooking time.

   While fish is cooking, add 1/2 of the swiss chard and the chicken stock. Stir well. Add the additional chard and cover. Steam on low heat for 5 min or until slightly wilted.

   Add butter either to the bean mixture. Stir until melted. Ladle vegetables and broth into bowls. Top with fish and pine nuts. Serve immediately.