Broiling a fillet of red snapper is a great way to learn how easy it is to cook fish. I chose red snapper here for its simplicity. It’s delicate, flaky and not at all fatty or fishy, a luxury to savor on its own, with as few additions as possible. And if you try out this very basic recipe, you’ll see that to get great results with fish all you have to do is use your senses. And that sensual experience is one of the greatest pleasures of cooking.
If your fish store is out of red snapper, you can try this recipe with another white fish. Striped bass, halibut and branzino are all good options. This is where getting to know your fishmonger comes in handy. Ask him what’s the best and freshest fish he has, give it a smell and then ask for the most uniform fillets. The fish should have no smell, it should not smell fishy at all. The freshness of your fish is the most important factor in its flavor. If you get a piece of fish that’s skinny on one end, you can just tuck the tail under to make it cook more evenly.
For this recipe we season the fillet on both sides with salt and pepper, brush it with soft butter and broil it in the toaster oven for a few minutes. (For an inch-and-a-half-thick fillet, broil it 5 or 6 minutes.) In addition to coating the fish and protecting it from drying out, the butter penetrates the flesh as it melts and mixes with the fish’s juices to create a natural sauce. Now this is where your senses come into play: The fish will tell your ears it’s done by making a sizzling sound. It will announce itself to your nose with its delicious aroma. Your eyes will see that the flesh is opaque and the butter is beginning to brown. And your skin will feel the warmth of the skewer when you test it.
Once your fish is cooked, serve it immediately. Don’t wait, or it will dry out and you will lose a lot of the flavors. Squeeze on a little bit of lemon juice: it creates a contrast to the buttery fish and gives the dish a sense of lightness.
Getting great flavor from your fish really is that simple. But wait until you taste the lusciousness of the flesh, that is where your fifth sense comes in.
Recipe: Broiled Red Snapper Fillet
Serves 11 6-ounce skinless filet of red snapper, ¾ -inch thick
1 tablespoon butter
fine sea salt and fresh pepper
1 lemon
- Set toaster oven to Broil.
- Line the toaster oven tray with foil and butter the tray.
- Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and brush top with butter. Place on the toaster oven tray and broil for about 5 minutes until the fish just starts to flake.
- Serve with fresh lemon.
kristin1 SAID...
I do not have a toaster oven. Would this be alright to do in the oven and at what temp would you do it at?
GracePiper SAID...
Chef, nice video and recipe. I just found your site through a seriouseats.com link. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
Kristin1,
The chef may differ, but if your oven has a broiler you could use that. If you don’t have a broiler I would bake at 400 degrees for maybe 5 minutes and use his skewer technique and test it frequently for doneness.
I like to salt and pepper fish fillets then apply a very thin layer of mayonnaise and then broil. The fish remains very moist. I’ll try softened butter next time.
-Grace
www.fearlesscooking.tv
kristin1 SAID...
Thanks Grace!
I do have a broiler so I will do it there. Planning on this for dinner this week.
bobdelgrosso SAID...
My goodness, I got a kick out of seeing the way you judge doneness. I learned to do the same thing from my grandfather who was a rotisseur at The Pierre from 1933 until about 1960. Then, when I got my first real cooking job in 1982, my chef Rene Chardin showed me the same technique.
I suppose this is one trick that will be around for a long time. I’ll bet Escoffier used the same technique. Thanks Chef!
Natalie Sztern SAID...
je demure a Montreal mais je suis Anglophone et je parle francais aussi. je pense pour tous votre ”fans’ c’est une bonne idee de, temps en temp, enregistrez ces videos en francais…the lemon is what makes you a ‘chef’ maintenant pour mes presentations du plat i will use this small tidbit of un citron: elegante de coupe….
what does one do when ccoking fish to avoid the awful smell that permeates the kitchen aftewards…..i am very sensitive to smell
claudia@cook eat FRET SAID...
chef, i just placed my order for the oven. now ruhlman will get a few sheckles in his amazon store, thanks to you… be sure to remind him that he owes you…
i think it is often a waste to heat a big oven for 2 baked sweet potatoes or something small. this purchase was long overdo.
Joseph Bayot SAID...
That way of determining doneness is so old school French. I think I’m gonna try it next time I cook a steak.
I think the idea of cooking in a small toaster oven really brings up a good point. So many home cooks go after industrial sized mixers, blenders, and stoves, even if they’re only cooking for a few people. Most people forget that for 1-2 people, smaller appliances are a smarter choice, leaving more room for a nice big cutting board and lots of counter space for preparation.
Thanks for the video, Chef. I’m looking forward to watching more of them.
Is this taped in your home kitchen?
MrsVJW SAID...
This makes me look back fondly to the days in a sub-par apartment when I at least had enough counter space for my toaster oven, which was my go-to appliance for small things or hot summer days when I didn’t want to fire up the regular oven and drive up the apartment temperature 20 degrees.
Very nicely done. Keep it coming!
Sarah SAID...
I love my toaster oven, and am so excited for new ideas about how to use it. Thank you for the inspiration Chef.
Your fish looks beautiful.
steve_brown SAID...
I also am a Toaster Oven lover. I really hope this takes off. Because I WANT MORE.
I feel the need to mention Bourdain. I don’t know why he doesn’t call anymore. Sniff.
Victoria SAID...
Victoria SAID…
I got two beautiful pieces of red snapper at the Dean & DeLuca at 85th and Madison yesterday. The fish was exactly as you said it should be - fresh smelling and bright with streaks of light pink. I made this for dinner last night following your very easy directions explicitly. It was glorious. I’m waiting for the next recipe. Thanks.
greyes SAID...
Last night I tried the red snapper recipe and it came out DELICIOUS. I have always been a fan of good food but never had the confidence to cook for myself and especially for anyone else. However after last night I feel confident to take on my next dish. Thank you so much Chef.
ZenKimchi SAID...
Even though I grew up on the beach, I hated “swimmin’” fish (always loved shellfish).
Living in Korea, I’ve started to grow a taste for fish with the way that Koreans prepare it. The method you showed was similar to the one I grew up with, but I think my parents didn’t use much butter and overcooked it. That’s why I hated fish so much.
At the Korean market tonight, they had red snapper but only in whole form. It was 9 PM, and I was too hungry to deal with scaling and filleting, an art I’m still trying to teach myself.
I instead bought some salmon fillets. I know it’s a much oilier fish, but it has those omega-3 fats my lazy aging heart craves.
What I had tonight was AMAZING! So simple! Just salt, white pepper and some butter (I threw on a little Korean red pepper for kick). Made a quick stir-fry of eggplants, carrots and red bell peppers with lemon and fresh herbs from my window garden–thank you, Chef Ripert for helping me get more comfortable with cooking fish. Even though I slightly undercooked it (the metal chopstick I used felt warm, really, it did), it was the best COOKED salmon I’ve ever had.
rebunting SAID...
This looks delicious. You are a rock star.
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GastroGirls SAID...
This is truly one of the best ways to broil fish. Great video! Clean and simple!
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msavas SAID...
I made salmon last night and used a metal pick to check the doneness and it was perfect! Plus, I think it looks cool and wicked chefy when you press the metal pick against your chin. Thanks for the great tip, Chef!
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spamisthenewham SAID...
Chef Ripert —
What a wonderful, and time saving (without compromising flavor etc.) recipe: thanks so much for sharing it with your readership. Now, I am inspired to prepare the same dish, and shall do so today.
One question, if you were preparing this dish in a traditional oven, or a salamander, and not a toaster oven, would you have left the skin on, even if just for the cooking process? Is there not so much wonderful flavor and nutrients left behind, sans skin?
Cheers.
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