Fresh Florida fish and watermelon is a real summertime hit, especially when you make them the way tonight’s featured chef does. Snapper is on the menu as we grab a Bite with Belkys.
The Chef: Vince Navarrete
The Restaurant: The Diamond Club inside Marlins Park
The Dish: Pan Seared Snapper
Ingredients:
6 oz. red Snapper fillet
2 tbs. butter
3 each thyme sprigs
2 each garlic cloves, smashed
sea salt and pepper to taste
Watermelon steak
1 each watermelon steak, cut 3x5x1
1 tbs. olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
Snow Crab Salad
4 oz. snow crab meat, removed from shell
1 each vine ripe tomato, cut into wedges
1 tsp. red onion, diced
1 tsp. micro cilantro
2 tbs. mango, fine diced
1/2 tsp. jalapeño, seeded, fine diced
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. olive oil
Passion Air
12 oz. Passion Fruit puree
2 oz. Chardonnay wine
3 oz. granulated sugar
1 tbs. soy lecithin
sea salt and pepper to taste
Method of Preparation:
– Cut the watermelon into a 3 by 5 inch square. Season on both sides with sea salt and sepper. Put olive oil in a pan with medium high heat and sear the watermelon. About two minutes on each side. Set aside.
– Score the Snapper fillet so it doesn’t curl up in the pan. Season on both sides with sea salt and pepper.
– Put a pan on medium high heat and add butter, fresh thyme and smashed garlic. When the butter melts, add the snapper skin-side down and sauté about two minutes. Turn it over and ladle the melted butter over the fish until it’s finished cooking, another minute or two. Set aside.
– To assemble the salad, add snow crab, diced jalapeño, lime zest, red onion, mango, micro cilantro and vine ripe tomatoes. Dress it with lime juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper and toss gently.
– For Passion Air- put passion fruit puree, wine, sugar and soy lecithin into a blender. When soy lecithin has dissolved season with salt and pepper and blend again until the liquid forms an airy top of bubbles. Reserve until needed.
To Plate:
The watermelon steak is plated first, with the snapper resting on top. The snow crab salad is dished over the snapper and topped off with Passion Air (Passion Fruit puree, wine, etc.)
Serving suggestion: Rosé Champagne
Serves: 1
The Diamond Club
Marlins Park
501 Marlins Way
Miami, FL 33125
305.480.1300
http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/mia/ballpark/diamond_club.jsp