One of the great things about living in Louisiana is the plethora of sunny citrus fruits available during winter. When my grapefruit tree started producing more than I could use at home, I developed this recipe to serve at Bayona. Fresh basil is commonly partnered with lemon or orange, but I love how the faint anise flavor of the herb plays off the bright, tart-sweet punch of grapefruit (and since it rarely freezes in New Orleans, we can typically grow basil all year round as well). Citrus and fish is such a great match—this sauce is delicious with pompano, amberjack, or just about any fish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 red snapper fillets (6–7 ounces each), skin on or off

　　Salt and pepper

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　Grapefruit-Basil Butter

　　Grapefruit segments

　　

Grapefruit-Basil Butter

1 large ruby red grapefruit, cut into segments (see p. 179), juice reserved (about 1/3 cup)

　　Juice of 1 medium orange (about 1/3 cup)

　　1/4 cup white or rosé wine

　　1 medium shallot, chopped

　　2 tablespoons butter

　　4-6 large fresh basil leaves, blanched, shocked, and finely chopped

　　Salt

　　

Step 1

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over high heat and place 2 of the fillets skin side down (if serving skin-on). If the skin is off, place the fish in the pan presentation side down first. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4–5 minutes, pressing with a spatula so that the skin makes contact with the pan and becomes crispy. Turn and cook on the other side for about 2 more minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. Repeat with the other 2 fillets and the remaining oil. Pour half the Grapefruit-Basil Butter on plates or a platter, and place fish and grapefruit segments (see Grapefruit-Basil Butter) on top. Drizzle with the remaining Grapefruit-Basil Butter. This dish is excellent with plain basmati rice.

　　

Grapefruit-Basil Butter

Step 2

Place the grapefruit juice, orange juice, wine, and shallot in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until you have about 2 tablespoons of liquid (about 10 minutes). Whisk the butter slowly into the juice, until you have a creamy sauce. (Remove it from the heat and cover if not serving immediately.) When ready to use, stir in the basil, season with salt, and reheat if necessary.

　　Cooks' Note

　　I often cook fish with the skin on, because I love the taste and texture of the crispy skin, and it actually helps keep the fish moist.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.