Snapper and spaghetti

Roast snapper with a herb crust.

Roast snapper with a herb crust.

The Australasian snapper or Pagrus auratus is a species of porgie found in coastal waters of New Zealand and Australia. Although it is almost universally known in these countries as snapper it does not belong to the Lutjanidae family. It is highly prized as an eating fish.

The misha fish is found on all coasts of New Zealand, especially in the north. In Australia it is found along the south coast and as far north as Coral Bay in the west, and Cape Manifold in Queensland in the east. It is also found on the coast of Tasmania but in smaller numbers. The fish spawn in inshore waters and live in rocky areas and reefs of up to 200 m deep. They school, and will migrate between reefs. Larger fish are known to enter estuaries and harbours, for example Port Phillip Bay has a renowned seasonal snapper run.

Growth rates within the wild vary with some stocks (i.e. the Hauraki Gulf, NZ) growing rapidly and to a smaller maximum length while stocks in east and west Australia are known to grow much slower, a 10 kg adult is probably 20 years old, and a fish at the maximum size of 1.3 m long and 20 kg is probably 50 years old. Sexual maturity is reached at about 30 cm long and a small percentage of the males will turn into females at puberty.

Anglers are advised not to take immature fish, so as not to reduce breeding stock. The legal size in Australia varies by state, from 35 cm and a bag limit of 5 fish per person in Queensland to 50 cm in Western Australia. During spawing, these fish will obtain a metallic green sheen which indicates a high concentration of acid build up within the scales’ infrastructure. Minimum sizes are supposed to be designed to allow these fish to participate in spawning runs at least once before they become available to the fishery, however given the slow growth rates of this species, there is need to consider area closures and/or further increasing the minimum sizes in each state to reduce the chances of growth overfishing of the various populations of snapper throughout its range. This may be important with recent developments in technology such as GPS.

So simple to prepare, so quick to cook – it’s hard to go past fresh seafood for an easy, delicious dinner.

ROAST SNAPPER WITH A HERB CRUST

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted and roughly pounded
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp grated lemon zest (make sure there is no bitter pith)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
90g unsalted butter, softened
800g snapper fillet, skin off
lemon wedges, to serve

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

To make the herb crust, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the pan and transfer to a stainless-steel bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, ginger, coriander seeds and leaves, parsley, chives, lemon zest, sea salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix thoroughly, add the butter and mix again. It should start to come together.

On a chopping board, squash the crust mixture into a square that is slightly larger than the fish fillet. Lay the fish, presentation side down, on the crust mixture and cut the fish and its coating into 4 pieces. Slide a fish slice under the first piece, carefully turn the fish and its coating over and place in a roasting tin, crust side up. Repeat with remaining portions. Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting tin and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, or until a thin metal skewer slides easily into the fish.

Carefully place 1 fish portion on each plate and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the crust. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH MUSSELS, PRAWNS AND CHILLI

snapper

1/4 cup dry white wine
1kg large black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small dried chillies, crumbled
8 green (raw) king prawns, peeled
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
400g dried spaghetti

Serves 4

Place the wine in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mussels. Cover and steam the mussels for 4-5 minutes until they open; remove opened mussels from the pan. Strain and reserve the mussel juice.

Add half the olive oil to the saucepan. When hot, add the garlic, chilli and prawns. Cook until opaque, about 2 minutes, then add the mussels, strained juice, parsley and the remaining olive oil and check the seasoning. The water from the mussels may be salty enough; if not, add a little salt and freshly ground pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and mix through the mussel and prawn sauce. Spoon the sauce and pasta into 4 pasta bowls and serve immediately, sprinkled with extra chopped parsley.

HOT TIPS

• The mussel and prawn dish is everything that is great about Italian cooking: simple and delicious. The juices from the mussels make a great sauce mixed with chilli, garlic and olive oil. Be careful to check on the salt content of the mussel juice, though, as you don’t want it too salty. Clams can also be used. Another wonderful addition is toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.

• Any white-fleshed fish or ocean trout is wonderful with a herb crust. Not only does the crust give the fish great flavour but, importantly, it keeps it moist during cooking.

• A thick fennel or zucchini soup would make a wonderful sauce for this fish dish. Just add a salad and small boiled and buttered spuds.

SOMETHING TO DRINK

Rosé
Keep the flavours of the spaghetti vibrant with a glass of Turkey Flat Rosé (about $25), from South Australia’s Barossa Valley. It’s predominantly made from grenache, with a good splash of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and dolcetto. Aromas of raspberry and rhubarb give way to a juicy, rounded palate and fresh finish.

Source: Good Weekend
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