Ginger Chive Roasted Snapper

By Chris De La Rosa
Culinary Specialist

In the past, I’ve discussed how as a child in the Caribbean, I (and my siblings) gave mom ‘hell’ when she tried to get us to eat fish.

Now I’m thousands of kilometers away from the ocean (I only like ocean fish) and it’s now that I crave fish and seafood on my plate.

Poor woman tried her best back then, but we were just stubborn kids, I guess. I’ll give mommy a big hug and apologize when I visit her next time…hopefully she won’t mind making her famous Curry King Fish for me.

For this unique dish you’ll Need…

2 lane snapper  (about 2-3 lbs total)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 shallot (sliced thin)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 chive tops
baby bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon (juice)

Important: If doing this recipe gluten-free, please go through the list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten-free dietary needs — especially the soy sauce, which you will need to replace with a gluten-free version, like Tamari.

Have your fish-monger clean, gut and trim the fish, if you don’t know how to do so. Wash with cool water and some lemon juice and pat dry… set aside as we make the marinade.

Combine the olive oil, salt, black pepper, ginger, shallot, garlic, soy sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk well.

With my fish cleaned, I cut two slices, down the thickest parts of the belly (both sides), to help the marinade penetrate the flesh of the fish. Then in the same baking dish I would use to roast the fish in the oven, I poured the marinade over the fish. Then using my hands I worked the marinade into the cavity of the fish as well as into the cuts I made.

Tip: line your baking dish with parchment paper for easy clean-up after. Marinate for 10 minutes — nothing more or you risk having the lemon juice cook the fish.

I found some baby bell peppers in the fridge, so I went in with a few to help perfume the dish as it roasts in the oven, then I tucked the chive stems/glowers between the fish. You may top the peppers etc. with a tiny bit more salt and black pepper if you wish. (I did)

Place into a preheated 400F oven on the middle rack. It will take between 18-24 minutes to cook fully, depending on the size of the snapper you use. By the way, just about any fish will work with this recipe.  There’s no need to cover the baking dish as you want to help develop a lovely golden color on the fish and peppers. Plus if you were to cover it with foil, it may cause the dish to go soup-like and we don’t want that.

Feel free to drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil as you take it out of the oven — or maybe some fresh lemon juice? I’m sure your family will appreciate this fish dish.

This recipe is courtesy of Gourmand Award winning cookbook author and founder of CaribbeanPot.com, Chris De La Rosa. With over 450 printable recipes with step by step cooking instructions and demo videos, PLUS over 1 million social/fan connections globally every month, CaribbeanPot.com is the world’s #1 resource of Caribbean Culinary Culture. Connect with Chis on Instagram: www.instagram.com/caribbeanpot/.