Ingredients
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar (eyeball it)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (eyeball it)
10 radishes, thinly sliced
1 seedless or English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, seeded, quartered and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup sliced almonds, available on the baking aisle (2 ounces)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 cup couscous
4 portions red snapper fillet, skin on (8 ounces each)
1/2 cup sesame seeds, un-toasted, available on the spice aisle
1 bunch watercress, trimmed of thick stems
1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil (about 20 leaves)
2 scallions, chopped
Directions
In a salad bowl, combine the ginger, jalapeño, vinegar, salt and pepper. In a slow steady steam, whisk in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the radish, cucumber, yellow pepper and toss to coat. Let the veggies sit and marinate at room temperature while you prepare the sesame crusted snapper. Place a medium saucepan on the stove. Add the sliced almonds and toast over moderate heat then remove from pan and reserve. Return pan to stove top and add the chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil -- just eyeball it, curry powder and cinnamon. Raise heat and bring broth up to a boil. When it boils, add couscous to the pot and stir to combine. Cover the pot and turn off the heat and let the couscous stand until ready to serve. With a sharp paring knife, score the skin side of the snapper fillets by slashing three, 1/8-inch thick cuts across the width of the fish. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Sprinkle and then gently press the sesame seeds onto both sides of the fish. Heat a nonstick large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, two turns of the pan. Once the pan is hot, add the seasoned fish to the skillet skin side down. Sauté the snapper for 4 minutes and if you find that the fillets bubble up in the center section, carefully press each fillet down with a fish spatula. Flip the fillets and continue to cook on the second side for 3 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and opaque. While the fish is cooking on the second side, finish off the ginger dressed snappy veggies and prepare the couscous. To the marinating vegetables, add the watercress and basil. Toss to combine. Remove the lid on the couscous. Add scallions and toasted almonds and fluff couscous with a fork. To serve, distribute the snappy veggies between 4 plates and top with the sesame crusted snapper; serve the couscous alongside.