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Grilled Red Snapper Zarandeado

Robert Rabine|

Grilled Red Snapper Zarandeado
4 (5 ratings)
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Zarandeado translates from Spanish a few different ways, but in this case it means “flipped,” because the dish is a marinated fish that is put in a grill basket and cooked halfway before getting turned. Your guests (and even yourself) will flip at how delicious this dish it.
Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 2 ancho chiles
  • 2 guajillo chiles
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 6 canned plum tomatoes, smashed by hand
  • 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1.5 tablespoon maggi sauce or worcestershire sauce
  • 2 drops liquid smoke
  • salt to taste
  • 1 cup zarandeado marinade
  • 4 red snapper fillets, skin-on, 5-6 ounces each
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
  • 2 limes, quartered
Directions
  1. Stem and seed the chiles before tearing them into small pieces.
  2. Toast them in a hot, dry skillet by pressing the pieces down with a metal spatula for 10-20 seconds per side. Transfer the pieces to a small stainless bowl and cover them with piping hot tap water, weighting them down with a saucer.
  3. Soak the pieces for 20 minutes until softened. Transfer them to the bowl of your blender along with around half-a-cup of the soaking liquid and the remaining ingredients. Purée this until smooth and pass it through a fine mesh sieve into a small sauce pan.
  4. Bring the marinade to a simmer over medium heat and cook for a couple minutes to marry the flavors.
  5. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
  6. Rinse the red snapper fillets and pat them dry with paper towels.
  7. Score the flesh a few times with a sharp knife without piercing the skin, and smear on a good amount of the marinade, spreading it into the incisions with your fingers. Let the fillets marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.
  8. Heat your grill to medium-high and oil it well. Throw a handful of wood chips around the flame for smokiness, and grill the red snapper fillets skin-side down for around 4 minutes, before flipping once.
  9. Cook for an additional 3 minutes and transfer to a warm platter.
  10. Scatter the onions and cilantro evenly over the fish fillets and garnish with the lime wedges.
 
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