Ingredients:
Red snapper
1 heirloom tomato
1 yellow straightneck squash
1 zucchini
3-4 lemons
1⁄2 shallot – diced
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 1⁄2 tbsp tomato paste
3⁄4 cup chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp white pepper
1 1⁄2 sticks unsalted butter
1⁄4 loaf sourdough bread – crumbled into small pieces
6 sprigs of thyme
1⁄4 cup cherry tomatoes
Mint to taste and for garnish
1⁄2 tsp fennel seed
1⁄2 cup of vinegar
1 cup water
Instructions:
Finely cube the heirloom tomato, squash and zucchini.
Add a splash of grape seed oil into a medium saucepan. Once hot, add shallot and garlic. Sweat for 1 minute.
Add the cubed produce and stir. Add tomato paste, a couple splashes of chicken stock, salt, pepper, and thyme.
Brown the butter. Add 1 stick of the butter to a frying pan and cook over medium-low heat – stirring occasionally – until it is a nutty golden brown color.
In a separate pan, toast the bread. Add some oil to the pan followed by the bread, tossing occasionally until it is toasted.
Heat up milk with a sprig of thyme, bay leaf, 1⁄2 a lemon of lemon zest, and toasted bread. Let steep for 5-10 minutes, then strain.
Check on the ratatouille. If the liquid has cooked off, add more stock. Season to taste.
Make the pickling liquid. Add vinegar, sugar, and water into a saucepan with mint fennel seed and tomato. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat.
Cook the snapper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Add grapeseed oil to a hot pan. Add the snapper skin-side down and apply pressure to it for the first 10-15 seconds to ensure that the skin does not curl. Flip after around 4 minutes. Add butter and thyme and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Add brown butter to the strained milk along with the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Using an immersion blender, blend together until it forms a thick sauce.
Plate. Set the fish on the plate and spoon the sauce beside it. Spoon the ratatouille on the side of the sauce. Garnish with pickled tomatoes and mint.
