Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Sautéed Snapper with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar

Sautéed Snapper with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar

By Courtney HillFebruary 5, 2021

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    25 minutes
  • Rating

In “French Food at Home,” Laura Calder shares a recipe for a simple yet elegant one-skillet, six-ingredient (not counting the salt and pepper) sautéed fish supper. Our riff yields a slightly more substantial vegetable accompaniment to serve with the fillets but is equally easy to prepare. We like green beans, but if you prefer, use pencil-thin asparagus instead. Red snapper is a mild, firm-textured white fish that holds up nicely to sautéing. Flounder is a good alternative, as it typically is of the same thickness as snapper. Halibut works nicely, too, but the fillets are thicker and therefore require a few more minutes in the pan.

Tip

Don’t fuss with the fish once it’s in the skillet. Allowing the fillets to cook undisturbed for a few minutes gives them a chance to develop a well-browned crust. To flip each one, slide a metal spatula underneath and, as you turn it, support the fillet your free hand. Gentle handling helps prevent the flaky flesh from breaking.

Ingredients
  • 4

    6-ounce skinless red snapper fillets (½ to 1 inch thick)

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 8

    ounces green beans, trimmed and halved

  • 1

    pint cherry or grape tomatoes

  • 2

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 2 pieces

  • 2

    tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Step 1

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering.

Add the beans and cook, stirring only once or twice, until spottily browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst and the beans are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter.

Step 2

In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the fillets skinned side up and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Using a wide metal spatula, flip each fillet, then add the butter while swirling the pan. Cook over medium-high, occasionally basting the fish with the fat, until the fillets are opaque throughout, about another 3 minutes. Using the spatula, place the fillets on top of the vegetables.

Step 3

Set the skillet over medium, add the vinegar and cook, stirring to combine with the fat, just until heated through, 30 to 60 seconds. Pour the mixture over the fish.