Pan-Grilled Florida Red Snapper w/ Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Once again, the quality and freshness of the fish at The Original Two Cousins fish market in Latham helped make this dish extraordinary. I'd found a lengthy list of recipes inspired by Florida agriculture, and this one stood out as soon as I spied it. So, you can imagine my excitement when Two Cousins said they had received a shipment of Florida red snapper! And, as luck would have it, Florida-grown strawberries are on sale this week at Price Chopper. Clearly, this dish was destined to be cooked by me this week!

I really like red snapper. It's a white fish that, to me, has a bit more of its own flavor than others that just take on the taste of what they're cooked in. It's seasoned simply in this recipe, and the crispy bits you get from pan-grilling the filets add a yummy, salty bite to the dish.

The salsa knocks this recipe out of the park. The strawberries are perfectly ripe and sweet. Such a welcome taste of summer to go with the glorious weather we're having! Pairing them with the creamy avocado, hot onions, fresh herbs and that kick of lime...it's SO good. Trust me: Fish and strawberries really do go well together.

Here's how I made it:

SALSA
2 cups strawberries, diced
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
1 small red onion, minced
Fresh parsley, minced
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp sugar

FISH
4 Florida red snapper filets
1 Tbsp lime zest
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and try to let it sit for an hour or so. If you're making the salsa several hours in advance, add the avocado and parsley (or cilantro, if you prefer) just before you're ready to serve it.

Preheat your grill pan over high heat. Coat both sides of the snapper filets with some olive oil. On the fleshy side, rub each filet with some lime zest and season with salt and pepper. Add a little more oil to the pan once it's hot. Sear each filet, skin side down, for 3-4 minutes before flipping. Cook the fleshy side for another 3-4 minutes till the fish feels firm and flakes apart. Remove the skin, if you want, before serving. Top with some salsa and enjoy!