Red Snapper in a Lemon Creme Fraiche Oregano Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes

Red snapper is a succulent fish and I gather it's plentiful.  I found three beautiful fillets at the fish counter yesterday, fresh and gleaming.  One of the reasons I love to cook fish is that it's the ultimate fast food, it's so quick to prepare yet it's SO good for you.  This could be made with almost any fish so don't get hung up about finding red snapper.  Cod, halibut even talapia would work.  The tomatoes give it a nice added color and flavor and of course fresh herbs make everything special.  As I'm thinking about it now, it might be nice to roast some lemon quarters along with the tomatoes to squeeze over the fish, roasting gives such a lovely intensity to fruits and veggies.

3-4 fillets of red snapper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter

salt and pepper

3 lemons

1 cup white wine

1 tablespoon creme fraiche

Fresh oregano (or your favorite fresh herb)

1 packet of grape tomatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

fresh oregano (or your favorite fresh herb)

Heat the oven to 350F

Halve the tomatoes, toss in olive oil, chopped fresh herbs, salt and pepper, place in a roasting pan and cook for 30 minutes. 

In a large non stick saute pan, heat the olive oil.  Lay the fish in the pan flesh side down and cook on medium heat for two minutes without touching them. 

Add the butter to the pan and let it foam.  Flip the fish so that the flesh side is facing up.  Spoon the foaming butter over the fish for another 2 minutes or so or until the fish is cooked through. Transfer the fish to a warm platter and cover with aluminum foil. (If you have a particularly thick fillet of fish, transfer it to an oiled baking dish and finish cooking it in the oven for about 5 minutes.) 

Add the wine, fresh herbs and lemon juice and bring to the boil, scraping down the bottom of the pan.  Turn down to a simmer and cook for another few minutes.

Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche. Check the seasonings, adding more lemon juice if needed and fresh herbs.

Place the fish on a serving platter, pour over the sauce, spoon over the roasted tomatoes, sprinkle over some more fresh herbs and lemon wedges.  Serve immediately.

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