A FISH FROM THE DEPTHS THAT’S REALLY FULL OF FLAVOUR 

Fishmonger and Restaurateur Willie Little, from Littles Restaurant in Blairgowrie & Fish in Crieff Fishmongers is sharing his passion for a more unusual fish fished from the deepest recesses of Scottish waters.

Not that many people will have tried the Scottish Red Snapper, fished in the North Sea and Atlantic at a depth of 2000ft down – only two Scottish boats, The Enterprise and the Adventure, both from Kinlochbervie, catch this fish.  Willie gets his from The Enterprise.

The Scottish Red Snapper is a slow growing fish which is low in fat and calories but high in protein. It has a mild and sweet taste that works well with herbs, spices and different flavours. This means that it’s exceedingly versatile and can be easily cooked, grilled and fried with nearly any kind of marinade.

Living in the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, the Scottish Red Snapper will grow and mature slowly, giving the meat a deliciously dense texture, full of moisture. Even though Red Snapper can be prepared in similar ways to other whitefish, the firmness and moisture of the meat makes it ideal for grilling and frying.

Red Snapper is particularly good to fry over high temperatures, blackening the meat. Marinating the fish with some spices, herbs and dressing beforehand will personalise the dish to individual tastes.

The Red Snapper contains a lot of proteins and healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. It also has a good amount of vitamin B12 and Selenium.

Willie is keen to showcase this delicious fish and get more diners trying it, especially as most of the stocks go off to Germany and Spain! We Scots are missing out on a fish caught off our shores he says!

www.littlesrestaurant.com

Scottish Red Fish (Snapper) from Deep Waters of Scotland

Ingredients
2 Courgettes
Olive Oil
1 Red Pepper
2 Shallots – Peeled & Diced
250ml White Wine
1 Pack Tenderstem Broccoli
2 Duke of York Potatoes (boiled with skin on)

1 clove of Garlic

Method

  1. Score Fish & leave aside
  2. Roast Pepper with burner & allow skin to blister/alternatively, peel the skin off with a potato

peeler. Roll in kitchen paper to remove any excess.

  1. Cut & remove seeds.
  2. Dice pepper, garlic & shallots. Sweat in a thick-bottomed pan
  3. Add white wine & cook for 5-10 minutes until tender.
  4. Blitz and keep warm (this can be done earlier in the day and re-heated if desired).
  5. With a fork, crush the cooked potatoes & season to taste
  6. Warm in the microwave
  7. Place the Red Snapper in a warm frying pan, skin side down with a little Olive Oil.
  8. Cook for 4-5minutes
  9. Place the tenderstem Broccoli in a pan of boiling water while the fish is cooking
  10. Remove Broccoli & place on kitchen paper, keeping warm
  11. Turn fish, Skin should now be crisp
  12. Cook flesh side of fish for 2 minutes
  13. Remove from the heat & place as illustrated
  14. I recommend a nice glass of Chablis to go with this dish. Bon Appetit!