For the seafood lover this panko crusted red snapper is the perfect choice for a more casual yet tasty delight. Panko is the Japanese word for "bread crumbs. This crunchy coating is perfect for fried foods as it absorbs less grease (yeah!) and has a crisper, lighter airier texture than regular bread crumbs leaving the fish perfectly moist inside.

I was introduced to the idea of panko crusted red snapper by my friend Ellen who found a recipe on Food Network for Chicken Katsu. She replaced the chicken with red snapper for a lighter meal, and I added ginger to the marinade.  Serve this dish with your favorite rice and a vegetable such as the recipe below for baby Bok Choy with toasted sesame seeds. Add a bottle of white wine or hot sake and the night is yours.


Panko Crusted Red Snapper

3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2-4 pieces of red snapper 1 - 1 1/2 inches thick, skin removed
1 - 2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tsp Garlic powder (make sure it's powder not garlic salt)
1/2 cup peanut oil (more if you use a large frying pan)
1 cup mochiko rice flour ( note: I used regular flour)
1 cup of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Garnish: Chives and sliced scallions

Combine the soy sauce, ginger, honey, pepper flakes, and sesame oil in a zip-top bag and shake it all together. Then add the red snapper.  Let the fish marinate refrigerated overnight, or at least 1 hour. After marinating take the fish, take it out of the bag and slightly dry it off by patting it with a paper towel.

Beat the egg, add the water and garlic powder.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium/medium-high heat. Be sure to watch the oil, if it begins to smoke - turn it down a notch.

Dredge the fish in the flour, then egg, followed by the panko. Place the fish into the pan and fry for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until done. The panko should be crispy and golden brown. I flipped the fish 2-3 times to prevent from getting dark brown. Place on a drying rack and finish frying the other pieces. Garnish with a few pieces of chives and sliced scallions.



Baby Bok Choy with toasted Sesame Seeds

To complement the red snapper, I served Baby Bok Choy. Vertically slice 2 baby bok choys in half. Mix the 4 halves in a bowl with 2 tbsps of sesame oil, place face down in a small roasting dish covered with aluminum foil. Place this in the oven, cooking at 300 for 1/2 hour. Remove the aluminum foil the last 10 minutes and turn the vegetables over. Toast 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds in a dry skillet over med heat for about 5 minutes to release their flavor. Stir to be sure the seeds do not burn. Sprinkle over the bokchoy and serve immediately.