Jalapeno Marinated Snapper

When the ice takes over the lakes in the Great Lakes region, many open water anglers consider heading to warmer ocean waters to toss a line, so we’re showcasing a recipe by Ara Zada for a quick version of pickled fish that features Red Snapper. The core recipe can easily be interchanged with other white fish including those harvested from cold northern waters such as pike or walleye, or equally – saltwater varieties such as halibut or yellowtail.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs                               Fresh Red Snapper, skinless filets cut to about 1” squares

¼ cup                               salt, kosher

2 tablespoons                apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons                water

¾ cup                             Jalapeno, sliced thin

1 cup                                red onion, sliced thin

½ teaspoon                   Coriander, whole seed

¼ teaspoon                   garlic powder

¼ teaspoon                   ground black pepper

1                                       bay leaf

2 tablespoons              cilantro, chopped

½ tablespoon               sugar

Directions

-In a medium mixing bowl combine the red snapper and salt. Toss it until the salt has coated all around the pieces of snapper.

Add all the remaining ingredients and toss until they are well combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. It is ready to eat after 24 hours of marinating and can be kept for up to 7 days. It’s best served on a cracker or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Chef Ara Zada

About the Chef: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ara Zada has paired his love for cooking with the great outdoors and found a passion in harvesting his own meat. He is an avid archery hunter and spends most of his spare time honing in his archery skill and planning his next hunt. He attended culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and built a career as a professional Chef specializing in recipe development and food styling. He has worked with Jaime Oliver Food Revolution, Food Network, ABC, CBS, NBC, Breville, Gelson’s and a range of others. He is also a field staff writer for Harvestingnature.com. Currently Ara is finishing up his cookbook titled Lavash, that will be available everywhere this fall.

Follow him on Instagram: @arazada