Equipment
Ingredients
Fish
- 300 g red snapper fillets, skinless, pin bones removed
- 2 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 20 g lemon, sliced into thin rounds
Egg Sauce
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
- 100 g sour cream, room temperature
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 10 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 2 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, chop the hard-boiled eggs into fine pieces.
In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped eggs, sour cream, melted butter, fresh dill, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir well until evenly incorporated and set aside.
Fill a large pot with 2.5 centimeters of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the steamer basket inside, ensuring the water does not touch the bottom of the basket.
Season the red snapper fillets evenly on both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange the lemon slices in an even layer in the steamer basket and lay the seasoned fish directly on top of the citrus.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and steam the fish for 8 to 10 minutes. The snapper is ready when it turns completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork, reaching an internal temperature of 63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carefully transfer the steamed red snapper fillets to warm serving plates. Spoon the rich sour cream and egg sauce generously over the top of the hot fish and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For the best texture and color in your sauce, boil your eggs for exactly 9 minutes, then transfer them immediately to an ice bath. This prevents the yolks from forming a green sulfur ring and keeps them creamy.
- Full-fat sour cream is essential for this recipe. Low-fat or fat-free versions contain stabilizers that may turn watery or lack the necessary richness to balance the lean steamed fish.
- Laying the fish on lemon slices serves a dual purpose: it prevents the delicate fillets from sticking to the steamer basket and infuses a gentle, aromatic citrus vapor into the meat as it cooks.
- If red snapper is unavailable, this method and sauce work beautifully with other firm, white-fleshed fish such as cod, halibut, or haddock.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the sauce and the fish in separate airtight containers. Reheat the fish very gently to avoid overcooking.
