Editor's note:This recipe is excerpted from Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert's book theLe Bernardin Cookbook.
To read more about Ripert,click here.
Eric: My friend Albert Core gave me the idea to combine port and sherry vinegar, and after some experimenting, I found a way to do it. The result was this snapper, my first signature dish at Le Bernardin. Everyone loved it immediately, except for Maguy, who didn't even want to put it on the menu. Now, of course, she loves it, too.
Maguy: I didn't want this dish going on the menu, and Gilbert said he didn't care, he loved it. It was the first time we disagreed. So I invited some friends for dinner and asked them what they thought. They all said it was great. I was furious! Now I love it, so much so that the kitchen knows to send extra sauce on the side.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Special Equipment
Step 1
1. Bring the port to a boil in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower the heat slightly and simmer until reduced to 1 cup (if using a gas stove, never let the flames extend above the bottom edge of the pan). Add the vinegar and simmer until reduced almost to a syrup consistency, lowering the heat as necessary to keep the sauce from burning around the edges—you should have about 7 tablespoons.(The sauce can be made to this point up to 1 week ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
Step 2
2.除1汤匙2 s之间的玉米油killets and place over high heat until the oil is just smoking. Divide the cepes, thyme, and garlic between the skillets and lower the heat to medium. Sauté until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to low and divide the shallot and 2 tablespoons of butter between the skillets. Season both with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallot is softened and the cepes are tender, about 6 minutes more. Discard the garlic and thyme and combine the mixtures.(The cepes can be made to his point up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate).
Step 3
3. Season both sides of the snapper with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the five-spice powder over the skin and rub it into the fish. Clean the skillets and divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of corn oil between them. Place both over high heat until the oil is just smoking. Add the snapper to the skillets, skin side down, and briefly hold the fillets down with a spatula to prevent the skin from shrinking. Sauté until the bottom of the fillets are dark and crusted, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for about 5 minutes longer, until a metal skewer inserted into the fish for 5 seconds is met with medium resistance and feels warm when touched to your lip. Keep the fillets warm.
Step 4
4. Meanwhile, reheat the mushrooms. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in to 1/2-inch pieces. Lift the saucepan a few inches above the heat and add the butter. Shake the pan back and forth until the butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce; this will take about 3 minutes. Do not stir or whisk the butter into the sauce. The sauce will be very shiny and clear.
Step 5
5. To serve, stir the chives into the mushrooms and arrange them in the center of 4 large plates. Top with the snapper. Drizzle the sauce around the mushrooms and serve immediately.
How would you rate Red Snapper and Cepes in a Port Reduction?
Leave a Review
Reviews (10)
Back to TopDisappointing. Expensive, time-consuming and not all that tasty. The sweetness of the port and the tang of the vinegar overwhelmed the fish instead of enriching it. Also, as others have mentioned, the vinegar fumes from the slow reduction were kind of unpleasant to have in the house.
ChristineSP
Chicago
1/25/2014
Simply amazing. Mushrooms and sweet red wine with fish? You bet! The port reduction was the only time consuming/kinda expensive part. The remainder of the recipe is pretty simple. Fresh snapper is definitely the way to go. The only substitute I used was chopped baby bellas in lieu of the cepes and it was fantastic. Don't forget the fresh chives.
psuae22
Tampa, FL
12/6/2012
Just made this after seeing it on Avec Eric. Not sure if he would agree, but I never have sweet wine at home. I substituted half aperitif wine, half fruity red (a zin) and a scant tsp of sugar. I enjoyed the sauce but found it overpowered the house with the smell of the sherry vinegar reducing. Also there is a fine line, it seems, between liquidy wine reduction and glace', so this was a little testy for me. It complimented the dish very well. I made my own 5-spice which had no anise in it and good quality spices. Excellent flavor. I did not have cepes so I used criminis with some reconstituted porcinis. All was great. I think I am going to try this next time by substituting some balsamic vinegar for the sherry. I can imagine it would be excellent on duck or other game meats.
Anonymous
NJ
12/5/2012
This sauce was exquisite. I didn't use a 10 year old port but on the success of the recipe decided to buy an expensive bottle of port to do it again and - if possible - improve on it with the more quality ingredient. Can imagine the reduction also complimenting small beef cuts like filet mignon and/or drizzled over pork tenderloin. It's really versatile, really easy to make and tastes of layers that suggest restaurant quality.
isliss
Los Angeles
7/30/2009
Wow. This Valentine's Day has been so romantic and perfect that I'm even making myself sick. But I wouldn't change a thing, and certainly not a thing about this recipe. I made it not only because it came from Le Bernardin on high, but also because it required reduced port, which I needed to make for my famous port brownies anyway. So regarding this recipe, all I have to say is make it--it's worth the effort. Less laborious are the brownies--just buy a box of brownie mix (I prefer Duncan Hines), substitute the water with port, and serve with vanilla ice cream and reduced port (without the sherry vinegar, of course). Perfect combo!
meghanfeeks
2/14/2009
I live in a rural area so my access to "exotic" ingredients is limited and I had to do some seemly major substitutes for this recipe. After refering to Cookwise by Shirley Corriher, I decided that talapia could replace red snapper. I used average quality red wine vinegar in place of Sherry vinegar. And I used small portobella mushrooms instead of cepes. The results were amazing. We especially like the reduction sauce. I think I will use that sauce in other recipes.
cwurld
Madison, WI
2/7/2009
I've made this a few times and it's a rich, delicious and sinful dish that is perfect for Valentine's Day or any other special occasion. It's worth making the sauce ahead of time as it takes awhile to reduce. If you're going to make this, don't skimp, especially on the porcini mushrooms. Romantic, sinful and simple.
Anonymous
2/6/2008
This was not a cheap recipe to make, but the sauce was delicious. After a lot of hard work cleaning the cepes (I bought them at Whole Foods looking like they had just come from the ground), I didn't think the mushroom portion of the dish was anything special. I've never had the dish at Le Bernadin, but I would love to compare Ripert's results to mine.
Jesikka
New York, NY
3/23/2006
Fyi to other cooks, cepes is the French word for porcini. (I went fruitlessly to 2 markets before I thought to doublecheck!)
kristaanne
NY, NY
2/11/2006
Wow. The combination of flavors-- meatiness from the mushrooms, sweet anise from the five-spice, rich sweetness from the port-sherry vinegar sauce, and the delicate flavor of the snapper make for a well-balanced, fabulous meal. I halved the recipe for two servings, and ended up wishing that I'd made the full batch of mushrooms. Served it with a bit of garlic spinach on the side for greens. This is a great special occasion dish. I'll be making this again for company the first chance I get.
Anonymous
Somerville, MA
2/13/2005
