Class Act Fishing
family owned and operated

2019 Snapper Recipes
2019 Snapper Recipes

Did you know that according to the American Heart Association it is recommended to eat fish at least twice a week and red snapper is an excellent healthy choice! With Red Snapper season just ending, it is time to cook up the Red Snapper you caught for these yummy recipes! 
 
Our first recipe recommendation is baked red snapper with garlic and herbs.
 
Time & Serving size— 
• Total: 25 mins • Prep: 10 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Yield: 2 Servings—easily double or triple for a family meal 
Ingredients— 
• 2 (6 to 8-ounce) red snapper fillets • 4 tablespoons butter • 1 medium clove garlic (pressed or minced) • 3 to 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 fresh parsley (minced) • Optional: 1 teaspoon chives (snipped, fresh or frozen) • 3 to 4 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs (or seasoned bread crumbs) • Optional: 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (freshly grated) 
 
Instructions— 
1. Gather ingredients  2. Preheat the oven to 400° F 3. Spray baking dish with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray and then place inside the snapper fillets  4. Place melt butter with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning blend, pepper, parsley, and chives in a skillet for 2 minutes over low heat; in order, to blend flavors.  5. Brush both sides of fish fillets with the butter and herb mixture.  6. Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining butter mixture and we recommend Parmesan cheese as well for additional flavor! 7. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the fillets.  8. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. If done the fish will be nontransparent and flake easily with a fork. 
Craving tropical fruit? This next dish is a healthy mouthwatering meal that includes baking orange juice in red snapper, easily feeding a family of four.  
 
Ingredients— 
• 2 pounds of red snapper fillets • 1/4 cup Florida’s Natural® Orange Juice • 1 teaspoon orange zest • 2 tablespoons melted butter • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil • Salt and pepper to taste 
 
Instructions— 
1. Place red snapper fillets in a single layer in a well-greased baking pan. 2. Combine orange juice and remaining ingredients and pour over fish. 3. Bake in 350° F oven for 30-40 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. 4. Decorate a serving plate with orange slices and sprinkle chopped basil over snapper. Serve with rice. 
Our last red snapper recipe includes using an oven or grill. So, feel free to crank up the grill this summer to enjoy red snapper fillets with coriander butter. 
 
Time & Serving size— 
• 20 mins.  • 4 servings 
 
Ingredients— 
• 4 boneless red snapper fillets with skin, about 6 ounces each (see note) •  Salt and freshly ground pepper to preference • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or scallions • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander 
 
Instructions— 
1. Place the red snapper fillets on a platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush each side with olive oil. 
2. Heat oven broiler or grill to high. 
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots, lemon juice, soy sauce, and coriander. 
Bring to a simmer, transfer to a small blender or food processor and blend to a fine texture. Keep warm. 
4. If the snapper is to be broiled in an oven, place the fillets skin side down on the broiler 
pan and place it about 4 inches from the heat. Leaving the door ajar, cook 3 to 4 
minutes without turning the fish. Do not overcook. If the fish fillets are to be cooked on 
a hot grill, place them skin side up and cook about 2 1/2 minutes. Turn and cook skin 
side down for about 2 minutes more. Do not overcook. Pour the coriander butter over the fillets and serve immediately. 


Spring Fishing
Spring Fishing

Sparkling-white sandy beaches and the beautiful blue-green waters of our Orange Beach area attract millions of visitors each year. From parasailing or kayaking to simply laying in the hot sun, there are many fun activities available for people of all ages to enjoy.

Did you know that the Gulf Coast also offers some of the best spring fishing in the entire world? As the waters along our area begin to warm up, many types of fish migrate back into the area, allowing people to catch an ice-chest full of fish onshore and offshore. Cobia, Speckled Trout, Gray Trigger Fish, Pompano and Amberjack are just a few of the fish you can catch during the upcoming season.

Cobias migrate through the area in late March and April. You often catch them by sight fishing, where you trick them into eating your bait, a fun method to ask your deck mate about! Cobias are white fish that have a clean and buttery flavor. The fish has high oil content, helping it not dry out no matter how you prepare it.

Speckled trout have a slight flakey and very meaty texture. They are most commonly caught in the shallow bays and tend to move into deeper bay waters as temperatures decline during the fall. These delicious fish are frequently caught with shrimp.

Gray Triggerfish are great to fish for during the spring as the season opens on March 1st and closes by the end of May, making it a true spring fish. Gray Triggerfish primarily feast on bottom dwellers like shrimp, crabs, sea urchins, and sand dollars. The flavor is clean and uniquely sweet when cooked with a taste and texture similar to that of a crab.

Pompano appear in May and stay through October. They frequent the surf zone where the waves break in “suds” on the beach. They feed on sand fleas (Mole Crabs) that live in the area. Some call it “the world’s most edible fish” due to its flat-bodied, pan-sized shape that makes it easy to eat whole. The fish meat is pearly white, with a moderate fat content. It has a sweet, mild flavor that is firm, but finely flaked.

Best to hook during April and May, Amberjack are thick and meaty and are a favorite cooked blackened. They are known as “sea donkeys” because they are some of the toughest fighters in the Gulf. They enjoy swimming around ground structures like oil and gas platforms.

By the time May rolls around, taking a deep sea fishing trip can lead to a good number of the fish mentioned above. But, that’s not all you can catch during the spring and early summer!

Make the most of spring fishing by booking a trip with Class Act Charters! Our knowledgeable captain and crew will help you navigate the gulf and find where the fish are biting. Regardless of your group size, ages, or budget, we can accommodate your needs to provide you with the fishing experience of a lifetime!

Don’t forget a recipe for the Cobia that you’re bound to catch! Try out one of our favorites:

Cobia with Lemon Caper Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/3-cup all-purpose flour

1/4-teaspoon salt

1/4-teaspoon pepper

1 1/4-lb. cobia, cut into 4 pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3-cup dry white wine

1/2-cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained

1-tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

STEPS

1. In shallow dish, stir flour, salt and pepper. Coat fish pieces in flour mixture

(reserve remaining flour mixture). In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over

medium-high heat. Place coated fish in oil. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway

through cooking, until fish flakes easily with fork; remove from heat. Lift fish

from skillet to serving platter with slotted spatula (do not discard drippings);

keep warm.

2. Heat skillet (with drippings) over medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon reserved

flour mixture; cook and stir 30 seconds. Stir in wine: cook about 30 seconds or

until thickened and slightly reduced. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice; cook

and stir 1 to 2 minutes until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in capers.

3. Serve sauce over fish; sprinkle with parsley.


Parmesan Crusted Flounder Meuniere
Parmesan Crusted Flounder Meuniere

When it comes to cooking fish, many people find themselves stuck on one go-to fish that works with the preparation method they’ve mastered. Mix it up. Just because a recipe says salmon, that shouldn’t always be your choice. Be flexible enough that you base your recipe on something new from time-to-time.

This recipe is great for flounder, but can be changed for your favorite (or most readily available) type of fish!

Parmesan Crusted Flounder Meunière (serves 6)

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs skinless, boneless flounder filets
  • 16 trimmed asparagus spears
  • 2 tbsp drained capers
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1/2 lb Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • vegetable oil spray
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cast iron skillets

Preparation

Fry the capers in 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat until crispy. (They are like buds, so they’re done when they’re open.) Drain well. Cook the asparagus in salted boiling water for 3 minutes and shock in iced water. Season the filets lightly with salt and pepper. Spray filets liberally with vegetable spray and dredge liberally in grated Parmesan. Preheat 2 large cast iron skillets. Add a tablespoon each of oil and butter. Place the flounder, cheese side down, in the skillets. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes and – very important – don’t turn until a golden brown crust forms. Use a spatula to lift edge to check if brown. Turn and continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to 2 pie tins or baking sheet and put it in a 250-degree oven. Drain the oil from the skillet and place it back on the fire on medium-to-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until butter browns and foams. (Don’t let it burn.) Add the parsley and crabmeat and remove from heat. Heat asparagus and divide it onto four plates. Place the flounder on top of the asparagus spears, sprinkle with the fried capers, and spoon the brown butter over the fish.

 


Catching Amberjack
Catching Amberjack

Snapper season ended July 21st so we’re looking forward to the next season – which is Amberjack! Amberjack season for 2018 begins August 1st and runs through October 31st. Anglers love fishing for amberjack in Orange Beach. The thrill of a big amberjack pulling and bending your rod is pure adrenaline, even for the most experienced fishermen. These big fish commonly weigh 20-40 pounds with some weighing near 70-100 pounds.

Triggerfish is another target for this season. Triggerfish are abundant in nearshore and offshore locations. They compete in the same habitat preferred by red snapper and gag grouper. While they normally prefer to stay towards the bottom, they will rise up in the water column to get your bait on the way down. The adults drift along the bottom either alone or in groups while the juveniles drift at the surface.

Amberjack and triggerfish can be cooked many ways, if you choose to keep and eat them. Many people prefer a stronger seasoning when cooking amberjack due to its strong taste but marinating it properly is a treat for the taste buds. Find great recipes for both amberjack and triggerfish below.

Book your trip with Class Act Charters to chase amberjack, triggerfish and much more this season! We have 4-18 hour and 2 day trips available. Whether you’re taking the family or friends, you’ll enjoy your time with us and we look forward to meeting you!

Lemon Butter Amberjack Recipe

https://eatsimplefood.com/lemon-butter-amberjack-fish/

Grilled Triggerfish w/ Red Wine Butter Sauce

http://thelocalpalate.com/recipes/grilled-triggerfish-with-red-wine-butter-sauce/


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