Snapper PiePrint Recipe

I have spent the morning at the Sydney Seafood Markets – a place I love. Years ago, when I lived in Sydney I often went very early on a Saturday morning. I would walk around the different shops in my gum boots looking at the fish and crustaceans and chatting to the fishermen about the days catch and what was good. Based on the feedback I would bring home something to cook for lunch or dinner. It was often quite simple – a bag of prawns that I would dress a lime mayonnaise, a handful of sardines that I would grill with tomatoes or a whole salmon that I would wrap in newspaper and barbeque, Jamie Oliver style. There were so many more little dishes and nice tasty morsels. I miss having access to such a variety of good quality seafood.

With this in mind I ventured down to the markets today to soak up the atmosphere and find something to cook for dinner tonight. I got waylaid, ran into people I knew, sampled some sashimi and then wandered out to the decks to enjoy the sunshine and watch the morning sun sparkle on the water. As I was gazing across I noticed The Boathouse, a restaurant I have not been to for years, a restaurant that is famous for its Snapper Pie.  I had my inspiration, my dish and off I hurried to buy my snapper.

Quite frankly this pie is just heaven – the buttery pastry lid, the soubise sauce with sweated onions and of course the subtle flavour of the snapper. I think that if I ever ate this dish alone I might be tempted to lick my plate.

800 grams / 1.7 pounds of pink snapper fillet
4 dessert spoons of white truffle oil
1 kilo/2.2 pounds of puff pastry

1.2 kilos/ 2.6 pounds  sliced white onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
400 mls fish stock
800 mls cream
300 grams/10 ounces diced white onion
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of milk

Sweat sliced onions over a low heat with a tablespoon of the olive oil and a little salt. Cook until onions take on a very light brown colour, approximately 50 minutes. Cool. Add fish stock, put back on heat and reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Add cream and simmer slowly over a low heat. Reduce by half again or until a thick cream consistency is reached, around another 50 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and blend until smooth in consistency.

In a separate pan, sweat the diced onion in the remainder of the olive oil, over a medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. Add to the blended onion and season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Roll the puff pastry to ½ cm (1/6 inch) thick and cut into four ovals (to fit 4 ceramic pie dishes). Ensure there is a little overhang. In each pie dish spoon three tablespoons of soubise sauce. Lay 200 grams/7 ounces of the snapper on the sauce and cover with another table spoon of sauce and a dessert spoon of truffle oil. Lay the puff pastry lid over the top and press down the sides.

Whisk milk and beaten egg together and brush lightly over the pastry top. Cook for 25 minutes at 220c/430f. Rest for a few minutes before serving.

Very nice served with mashed potato and oven roasted tomatoes on the side.

Notes: Making the Soubise sauce is time consuming, if prep time before you eat is minimal you can make it ahead and refrigerate.

Source: adapted from The Sydney Morning Herald Winter & Food Magazine, May 2004

© 2010, Michelle. All rights reserved.