I grew up on Florida's Gulf Coast, so fresh seafood was a regular part of my diet, and I miss having access to it. As a teenager, I'd drive over to Hubbard's Pier at Pass-A-Grille and wait for the deep sea fishing boats to come in. Tourists would arrive with their fresh catches in tow. They'd have their photos taken with the fish while smiling broadly. Then wouldn't know what to do with the fish. They couldn't take it back to their hotel rooms. As a result they often just gave the fish away. And, for a small fee--about 50 cents--one of the deck hands would clean the fish for you. Those days are long gone, but my vivid memories of having fresh fish to eat often come to mind. Lately, in efforts to improve my diet, I've decided to eat fish once or twice every week. Here in the mountains of Virginia, the only available salt water fish are found in the seafood case of our grocery store. I try not to think about the fish having been frozen and thawed and just buy it as quickly as I can. The other day I saw red snapper and it brought back so many memories I had to have it. When I got home I decided to bake it. Here's the recipe I used:
- 2 red snapper fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 3 or 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning, or your own favorite seasoning blend, with salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon snipped fresh or frozen chives, optional
- 3 to 4 tablespoons plain or seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Serves 2.