Stuffed Red Snapper Demos

STANLEY DEMOS CREATED THIS SPECTACULAR DISH at his legendary Coach House in Lexington, Kentucky, before retiring to Florida and turning the restaurant over to his children. Quite frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten better Southern stuffed fish. I’ve used this stuffing for boned striped bass, flounder, and pompano, but for truly distinctive flavor and ideal texture, it’s hard to beat a large red snapper so fresh that you can almost taste the sea.

MAKES: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1  4- to 5-pound fresh red snapper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 1⁄2 cup finely chopped scallions (part of green tops included)
• 1⁄3 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 6 large fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced
• 6 fresh oysters, shucked and chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 2 strips bacon
• 2 lemons, quartered and seeded
• Watercress for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Bone the snapper by cutting open the belly all the way to the tail.
3. Use a boning knife to carefully loosen the flesh from the ribs to the backbone and discard the bones.
4. Spread the fish out in butterfly fashion and season with salt and pepper.
5. In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.
6. Add the scallions and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring, until softened for about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer the cooked scallions and celery to a mixing bowl.
8. Add the bread crumbs, shrimp, oysters, lemon juice, wine, and salt and pepper to the mixing bowl.
9. Mix the ingredients in the bowl until well blended to form the stuffing.
10. Place the stuffing in the center of the spread snapper and fold the sides up and over until the edges come together.
11. Remove any excess stuffing from the snapper.
12. Sew the edges of the snapper securely with a large threaded trussing needle or use small metal skewers to secure tightly.
13. Place the stuffed snapper on a rack in a roasting pan.
14. Make 3 or 4 incisions in the flesh on top of the snapper with a sharp knife.
15. Place the bacon strips lengthwise on top of the snapper.
16. Bake the snapper in the preheated oven until the fish is flaky but still juicy, which should take about 45 minutes.
17. To serve, transfer the baked snapper to a heated serving platter.
18. Remove and discard the bacon and trussing.
19. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter and pour it over the fish.
20. Garnish the platter with lemon wedges and watercress.