What was I thinking when I got that whole snapper????

M

music-city-missy

Well-known member
Obviously I wasn't thinking. It was pretty but I hate red snapper. I thought maybe my taste had changed or maybe it was the way it was prepared in the past. I thought I would fix this impressive whole fish.

Well, DH & DD went off on their college visit today so I had the house to myself. So as I got things ready for supper (DH didn't feel well last night so our Valentine's dinner was tonight) I pulled out the scallops, the lobster tails, the steak and Oh Yeah - the snapper. Hmmm - still not sure what to do with it. Maybe I'll take some of the herbs & spices from those three ways to fix it someone posted. And oh yeah, I've always wanted to do one of those salt crusted things.

So I chop and mix up all my herbs and spices - sort of a version of what I had around. I rinse out the fish and relize that oh wait, he still has gills and scales and all that stuff. I get the call they are getting close to home.

I hurry and start scraping scales and they fly all over. All over me. All over the kitchen. Think this was better done outside but it's freezing cold and snowing and if I do it outside it will just attract the raccoons - THEY love anything seafood and go to all lengths to get into the trash can to get it. I should have just filleted that sucker.

Then cutting out the gills. There was an interesting feat. I should have just cut the whole darn head off and been done with it.

So I stuff it with my mixture and put a bed of it under the fish like the instructions say. I whip the egg whites and add the cup of salt. I don't think I did that right - they deflated a good bit. There's no way this will cover the fish and the recipe I used was for a red snapper. Hmmm. Well it's going to have to work.

I barely get the fish coated. Put it in the preheated oven. Oh S***, I forgot to drizzle it with olive oil. Oh well. Baked as directed. My crust wasn't white like all the ones I have seen in the shows - it was brown like a freaking meringue pie. It doesn't sound hollow. It won't 'break' like on the shows. Oh well, I'll just scrape it all off.

Hmm, he doesn't look all that done. But he's flaking so I guess he is. I'll plate him up. Put the lobster tails on one side and the scallops on the other.

DH won't eat it. Says it's not done. Put it back in the oven and drizzle a little butter over it. Cook it a little longer.

Take him out again. Decide I'll try a bite. Flake some off the bones and before I can get it to my mouth I smell this disgusting smell. Yep, that's the smell and taste of the snapper I've had in the past. Not putting this in my mouth.

Dump, in the trash it goes. Smells so bad that the trash has to go straight out. Let the raccoons have at it if they dare!!!

 
Salt baked

So sorry about the snapper fiasco. I love snapper but never tried to cook the whole fish in salt. Hope you enjoyed the steak, scallops and the lobster.

 
Sorry you had an unwelcome guest for Valentine's. I know all about the scales,

The first time I bought a whole snapper at a busy fish market I didn't want to wait in line to have it cleaned and scaled, so I took it home as is. It took me forever to get it cleaned and my hands got all pricked from the fins. Those scales are huge, and they got into my garbage disposal. One $199 plumbing bill later, I really had to question the false economy of getting up early and going to a wholesale market to save money.

Still, I've never known snapper to have a bad smell. Perhaps yours wasn't fresh enough?

 
Missy, were the gills bright red, or were they pink or grey? Red gills are a must for fresh fish.

Clear eyes, not cloudy, are also a clue to freshness. Were any of the gills left in the fish? If any gills were left in the fish, it will impart a bitter taste when it is baked.

I think Joe might be right, freshness was probably the problem. You've had a bummer experience with this fish. Come down to the Gulf Coast, and I'll treat you to some delicious fresh red snapper, which I bet will change your opinion of this creature.

 
hope you werent previously frozen Karen, Lol.....MCM....this whole fish story sounds awful, poor you

not my most fav fish at all but it should not have smelt. Fish can also be undercooked, think of sushi, I have had it just cerviched in lemon juice too...still not my fav.
Usually when I do the salt crust I do the crust really thickly the scales and skin all come off together with careful removing of the crust.
Try with another type of fish and yes...the white crust appears to be there when it is a thick one....havent done this in a long time but if I remember I did do the crust thinly once and the stuffing leeched into the salt making it look more grey than white...wasnt nice at all.
Hope the rest of your meal was good.

 
I should probably clarify that it wasn't a 'bad' or 'rotten' smell, just a peculiar smell

one that has stuck in my brain from the only other time I have tried snapper. Just like the scent of rosemary, it's the scent of snapper. Does that even make sense?

I had to take a shower last night after all this and even then, I found another scale stuck to me.

The gills were more red than gray or pink just not a bright blood red. It smelled okay before I cooked it. I did check the eyes and they were great - nice and shiny.

Funny that the only other fish I've ever had that I didn't like was mackrel - at least not as sashimi. I've never had a problem with any cooked fish. I don't just love monk fish but it's not that bad. And I complain that farm raised catfish is too mild and tasteless. I love the 'gaminess' of real pond catfish like I grew up with.

I chased DD around the kitchen with it when I picked it up to put it back on the baking sheet. And then when I dumped it in the trash and it's head was sticking up out of the trash like it was trying to jump out. It was all quite comical.

Maybe one day I'll grow to like snapper....

 
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