Za'atar's depth backs up the freshness of parsley and cilantro in this Middle Eastern riff on a classic salsa verde.
Ingredients
4 servings
Step 1
Toast pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, tossing often, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
Step 2
Heat broiler. Season flesh side of snapper fillets with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with coriander. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil onto a small rimmed baking sheet and place fish, flesh side down, on top. Drizzle skin side with 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil until skin is crisp and browned and flesh is cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Remove fish from broiler and let rest 5 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, mix together cilantro, parsley, garlic, za’atar, red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ cup oil in a small bowl; season salsa verde with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Transfer fish to a platter, placing skin side up. Stir lemon juice, banana peppers, and pine nuts into salsa verde and spoon over fish.
Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend that includes sumac, herbs, and sesame seeds, can be found at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores, and online.
How would you rate Broiled Red Snapper With Za'atar Salsa Verde?
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Reviews (13)
Back to TopOne very important step: ensure you score the skin of the fish or it will curl up like a shell while cooking. Otherwise, delish!
Anonymous
FL
1/5/2023
My husband and I love this recipe. We have made it a numerous times. I substitute chopped, roasted almonds for the pine nuts, and add a little lemon zest. I can imagine this sauce would be great on chicken, or pork tenderloin as well.
NL Moore
Austin, TX
5/29/2022
The salsa verde wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping it would be - I think next time I will use the food processor instead of chopping everything by hand and add more lemon.
Anonymous
9/15/2021
I made this for the second time last night and it is phenomenal. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner and fancy enough to serve to company. Perfect.
Sarah Phillips
Boca raton FL
9/9/2021
Made this for a lighter holiday dinner with friends and got rave reviews. You'll be slathering that sauce on EVERYTHING. I get pine nuts in bulk when they're on sale and keep them well-packed in the freezer, for those who still want a pine nut hit and are more cost conscious.
ebostwi
Dallas, TX
3/27/2021
Amazing depth of flavor! Made as directed, except used an additional tbsp of pine nuts as that was the amount which poured into the pan. I also took the skin off as it was a really scaly rockfish and the skin isn’t one I enjoy eating. Plan to use the salsa in several other dishes! Really delicious; added to my saved files!
hmjeremy
SLC
3/26/2021
Tart sauce complements the sweetness of this tasty fish. As always, I amped up the lemon and toned down the oil to make it as bright as possible. Only other change: take out the nuts. they don't add, and can make you mistakenly think your bite includes a fish bone.
nancyersk
Stamford, CT
8/1/2020
This surpassed my expectations. Very easy to prepare. Don't skip the banana peppers, I think it gives the recipe something extra. I used Ziyad brand green za'atar. Substituted red snapper (none available at the market) with bronzini, I could see this working with any similar white-fleshed thin filet. 10 mins on broiler is just right, reduced from high to low for the last 4 mins to prevent burnt skin.
colleentabasko
Bridgewater, NJ
4/21/2020
Disagree that this is bland. Was worried because of SLM214's review, but found this recipe quite lovely. The za'atar does give it depth, as advertised, and I thought the (jarred) banana peppers and pine nuts made it interesting and complex. I over-salted mine, so be careful there. Overall, I would definitely make it again. Easy to assemble and cook, for sure.
jpjones1963
Athens, GA
2/9/2020
A bit bland. Realized I don’t love za’atar.
slm214
Phoenix, AZ
7/22/2019
Excellent recipe. I made it already twice with yellow tail and I did not change a thing. Fantastic!!
marian123
Aventura, FL
12/25/2018
This was fantastic. Taste and delight impact of the salsa verde punches way above it's weight in terms of effort. Have put this in the "red folder of recipes that make everyone happy".
sogear
Tampa, FL
8/20/2017
The salsa was great, but the fish was a little bland.
Anonymous
New York, NY
7/20/2017
This sauce... I would put it on pretty much anything. Chicken? Sure. Vanilla ice cream? I'd consider it. I made the recipe with red snapper and with trout, and to be honest trout was much better. I substituted pickled jalapenos, and some other nut I had in the freezer for pine nuts. Hint: Don't use a food processor for the nuts, too fine and dusty.
diaryofayoungcook
Washington, DC
7/17/2017
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