Snapper Zarandeado with Cal-Mex Spring Salad

Category: Dinner Ideas

Guajillo chiles and soy sauce in the mayonnaise rub create a great spicy, extra-savory crust on this fish. Serve the snapper Cal-Mex-style with a grilled spring vegetable salad.

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces guajillo chiles, seeded

  • Hot water

  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 small garlic clove

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot

  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 dried arbol chile—stemmed, seeded and crushed

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

  • 12 spring onions or scallions

  • 2 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed

  • Four 6-ounce, skin-on red snapper fillets

  • Warmed corn tortillas, for serving

demo

Direction

  1. In a small skillet, toast the guajillo chiles over moderate heat, turning, until blistered and fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water and let stand until softened, 15 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid.

  2. Transfer the softened chiles and reserved chile soaking liquid to a food processor. Add the tomato puree, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and garlic and puree until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and puree until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, whisk the shallot with the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice and crushed arbol chile. Gradually whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

  4. Brush the vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat, turning, until crisp-tender; 3 minutes for the scallions, 5 minutes for the asparagus. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.

  5. Using a sharp knife, make three shallow cuts on the skin side of each snapper fillet. Transfer 1/4 cup of the guajillo mayonnaise to a small bowl. Rub each fillet all over with 1 tablespoon of that mayonnaise, rubbing it into the cuts. Grill the fillets over moderate heat, turning once, until lightly charred and just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the snapper and grilled vegetables to plates and serve with warm cor