Red Snapper with Green Beans, Ginger & Thai Red Chili
I’ve always liked Asian food. I remember having my very first bowl of sweet and sour shrimp in the Mandarin restaurant situated in the Chinatown area of Newcastle upon Tyne in the mid 1970’s. My Auntie Sadie and Auntie Lily would shop in Newcastle every Saturday; visit the big market, Fenwick’s, C&A, coffee at Littlewoods, then lunch at the Mandarin. I’d often stay at my auntie Lily’s on a Friday night and accompany her to meet my Auntie Sadie across the town the next day.
Good times when you’re a 10 year old kid and I’m sure in some way that started my amazing career in culinary arts, loving food at such an early age from different countries. That’s why to me it’s so important to teach your kids how to cook, to try new tastes, flavors, ingredients, to show them how many wonderful cuisines they can choose from around the world, to open their eyes to new and exciting destinations that they could travel to in the future. Choosing from a different culture brings that culture into your home, it might only be for one evening but who knows what that might spark in the imagination of a child.
Three of my all-time favorite ingredients, garlic, ginger and Thai red chilies all get a chance to shine in this easy to make family dish. It’s easy, it looks stunning, smells fabulous and its tastes incredible – Try the tastes of Asia tonight. ENJOY!!!!
Red Snapper with Green Beans, Ginger & Thai Red Chili
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4x 4oz to 6oz red snapper fillets, skin on
Sea salt
Freshly ground Szechuan pepper or black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil & 1 tablespoon sesame oil, mixed
2 inch piece of fresh ginger grated, peeled and shredded
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 fresh small Thai chilies deseeded and shredded
1lb green beans, washed and trimmed
1 bunch green onions, cut long-ways
3 to 4 tablespoons low in sodium soy sauce
How to Make:
Pat dry each fillet, slash the skin side 3 times, this will stop the fish from curling in the hot pan, then season with salt and pepper.
Take a heavy-based frying pan and place over a medium to high heat on the stove, then add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, fry the fish, skin-side down, for 4 to 5 minutes or until the skin is very crisp and golden.
Carefully turn over each fillet, cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. (You may need to fry the fish in 2 batches depending on the size of the fish and the size of the pan).
Heat the remaining oil, and then fry the ginger, garlic and chilies for about 1 minute until crispy and golden (but not burnt). Turn down the heat slightly, then add the beans and cook for a further 2 minutes. Take off the heat and toss in the spring onions along with the soy sauce. Place a portion of ginger garlic beans on each of four plates, then top with a portion of red snapper. Enjoy.