We're eating a lot more fish and snapper is one of our favorites. It's fresh, firm, tasty, local and sustainable so it's good all the way round. Two important things to know about snapper. You need a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the bones out. If you raid the work bench give the tool a good wash with soap and water before you use it with food. The bones are thick and run up the center of the filet half way to the tail. Grab the end of a bone with the pliers and put your fingers in front of them to strip the flesh off the bone as you pull. There's usually five or six of them. Feel the whole filet to make sure you haven't missed any. A bone on the plate bothers everyone.
The other thing you need to know is that snapper skin has a very unpleasant fishy taste that you do not want to experience. There usually is a little bit of skin here and there so be sure to trim it all off. If there is a lot you'll need your sharpest flexible knife to shave the skin off the filet. Careful shopping can save you a lot of time here. Once it's all clean season it with Cajun spice and lay into a hot oiled frying pan. You can actually see the texture and color of the fish change as it cooks from the bottom up. When it gets up to the middle of the thickest part, turn it over.
I've been crinkle cutting my carrots which makes them prettier but I haven't really found any better plating arrangement. Taste is great though.
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