Delicious dinner

Tonight we had a completely delicious dinner. The taste was elegant, good enough for company kind of elegant, but the recipe wasn't overly complicated to make or overly un-healthy. As far as anchovies go, they have a bad reputation, I know. But in my opinion, don't knock it until you try it. This is the second meal I have made in two weeks that had anchovies in it and Hubby T couldn't even tell. So, give it a try. You'll be super glad you did.

Red Snapper with Sweet Anchovy-Pine Nut Sauce and Caramelized Zucchini
from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals

6 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 8-ounce portions of red snapper
1/4 c. pine nuts
2 medium zucchini, sliced in thin half moons
1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained
1 large pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 c. white wine
1 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. dried black currants
2 Tbs. heavy cream or half-and-half

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with a tablespoon of olive oil.

With a sharp knife, score the skin side of the fish fillets in a 1-inch crosshatch. Season both sides of the snapper with salt and pepper. Cook the fillets skin side down for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp. Turn the fillets and cook them on the reverse side for about 3 minutes, or until the fillets are firm and the flesh is opaque.

Preheat another skillet over medium-high heat (you will use this for both toasting the pine nuts and cooking the zucchini). Add the pine nuts and cook them until lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the nuts from the skillet and reserve. Return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the zucchini and season liberally with pepper and a little salt. Cook until the zucchini is lightly brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Once cooked, add half of the parsley and toss to distribute. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Once the fish is cooked, transfer the fish to a warm, shallow serving dish. Return the pan to the stove top and reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Saute the mixture until the anchovies melt into the oil and dissolve completely and the garlic is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock, currants, and cream and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 2 minutes. Add the remaining parsley and the toasted pine nuts to the sauce. Arrange the zucchini on serving plates and top with the fish fillets. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.

Mama P's cooking notes: I used salmon because that's the best option my grocery store had to substitute for red snapper. I didn't use any parsley and don't think the end result suffered due to its absence. I also did not score the fish. Also, in the last step when you are making the sauce, if there is any oil left over from cooking the fish, give it a couple minutes to cool down; otherwise the garlic you add might burn (like mine, oops!)