choice for a more casual yet tasty delight. Panko is the Japanese word
for “bread crumbs. This crunchy coating is perfect for fried foods as
it absorbs less grease (yeah!) and has a crisper, lighter airier
texture than regular bread crumbs leaving the fish perfectly moist
inside.
I was introduced to the idea of panko crusted red snapper by my friend Ellen who found a recipe on Food Network for Chicken Katsu.
She replaced the chicken with red snapper for a lighter meal, and I
added ginger to the marinade. Serve this dish with your favorite rice
and a vegetable such as the recipe below for baby Bok Choy with toasted
sesame seeds. Add a bottle of white wine or hot sake and the night is
yours.
Panko Crusted Red Snapper
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2-4 pieces of red snapper 1 – 1 1/2 inches thick, skin removed
1 – 2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp Garlic powder (make sure it’s powder not garlic salt)
1/2 cup peanut oil (more if you use a large frying pan)
1 cup mochiko rice flour ( note: I used regular flour)
1 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Garnish: Chives and sliced scallions
Combine
the soy sauce, ginger, honey, pepper flakes, and sesame oil in a
zip-top bag and shake it all together. Then add the red snapper. Let
the fish marinate refrigerated overnight, or at least 1 hour. After
marinating take the fish, take it out of the bag and slightly dry it
off by patting it with a paper towel.
Beat the egg, add the water and garlic powder.
Heat
the oil in a frying pan over medium/medium-high heat. Be sure to watch
the oil, if it begins to smoke – turn it down a notch.
Dredge
the fish in the flour, then egg, followed by the panko. Place the fish
into the pan and fry for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until done.
The panko should be crispy and golden brown. I flipped the fish 2-3
times to prevent from getting dark brown. Place on a drying rack and
finish frying the other pieces. Garnish with a few pieces of chives and
sliced scallions.
Baby Bok Choy with toasted Sesame Seeds
To
complement the red snapper, I served Baby Bok Choy. Vertically slice 2
baby bok choys in half. Mix the 4 halves in a bowl with 2 tbsps of
sesame oil, place face down in a small roasting dish covered with
aluminum foil. Place this in the oven, cooking at 300 for 1/2 hour.
Remove the aluminum foil the last 10 minutes and turn the vegetables
over. Toast 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds in a dry skillet over med
heat for about 5 minutes to release their flavor. Stir to be sure the
seeds do not burn. Sprinkle over the bokchoy and serve immediately.
