Pappadeaux Snapper Ponchartrain

5.00 (11)
⏱ 60 mins 🍽 6 serving(s) 🏷 Tex Mex

This restaurant-style Tex Mex dish features fresh red snapper fillets coated in a spiced flour and pan-fried. They are served with a rich, warm sauce made from a homemade shrimp stock, a brown butter roux, Madeira wine, and finished with sautéed shrimp and crab meat. The recipe yields 6 servings and requires approximately 60 minutes of total preparation and cooking time.

Pappadeaux Snapper Ponchartrain

Ingredients

  • 24 medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve shells)
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 1/8 cups unsalted butter, divided
  • 4 tablespoons flour, plus
  • 2 cups flour, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce (Tabasco)
  • 1/3 cup madeira wine
  • 1 tablespoon salt, to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 6 (8 ounce) fresh red snapper fillets (or other white- fleshed mild fish)
  • fresh lemon juice
  • 6 ounces crab claws or 6 ounces backfin crab meat

Method

  1. Place the reserved shrimp shells, chopped onion, celery, carrot and 5 cups water into a large stockpot. Simmer until the liquid reduces to 3 cups, which should take about 30 minutes. Strain the stock and set it aside.
  2. Create a roux by melting 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan until it starts to brown.
  3. Gradually whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour until it forms a paste. Continue cooking until the mixture becomes a light, golden brown colour.
  4. Take the roux off the heat and set it aside for later.
  5. In a different saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
  6. Cook the 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped garlic and 1/4 cup of chopped yellow onion in the butter for 2 minutes.
  7. Stir in the crushed chicken bouillon cube, 1 teaspoon of hot red pepper sauce and the prepared shrimp stock.
  8. Allow this mixture to simmer gently.
  9. Meanwhile, in another pan, melt 1 stick plus 1 1/3 tablespoons of butter, stirring until it turns a golden brown. Set this brown butter aside.
  10. Incorporate the prepared roux into the simmering stock mixture, stirring well. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
  11. Whisk the reserved brown butter into the stock until it is fully combined and emulsified.
  12. Pour in 1/3 cup of Madeira wine and whisk until it is incorporated.
  13. Set this sauce aside, keeping it warm while you prepare the fish.
  14. Combine 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the remaining 2 cups of flour.
  15. Coat each 8 ounce red snapper fillet first in fresh lemon juice, then dredge it thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture.
  16. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet.
  17. Cook the coated fillets in the skillet until they are golden brown and cooked through, approximately 4 minutes on each side.
  18. While the fish cooks, sauté the 24 peeled shrimp in 1 tablespoon of butter just until they turn pink, being careful not to overcook them.
  19. Add the cooked shrimp and 6 ounces of crab claws or meat to the warm Madeira sauce.
  20. To serve, spoon about 4 shrimp and a couple of ounces of the heated sauce over each cooked fish fillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium1620400 mg

Recipe details

CategoryTex Mex
AuthorMolly53