Snapper Escabèche with Grilled Scallions

Posted on June 22, 2017

A Bon Appètit recipe for “Snapper Escabèche with Grilled Scallions” — sounds both delicious and difficult to make, no?

Delicious, definitely YES. Difficult – a resounding NO!

In fact, this might be one of the easiest lo-co recipes I’ve ever made – and it’s both special enough for company and easy enough for a weeknight.

Oh, and did I mention delicious?

It was both Bon Appètit’s description of why marinating a fish AFTER it’s been grilled makes sense … and the accompanying video that showed how easy this was to grill AND how to know when the fish is done that convinced me to try this recipe. (It was idiotic that my maiden attempt was for an 8 person dinner party, but all’s well that ends well – and this ended very well!)

Bon Appètit described the compelling reason to marinate fish post grilling as:

“Because it’s so delicate, the flesh can break down when marinated first, sometimes causing the fish to fall apart. A post-grill bath delivers flavor without compromising texture.”

While this made sense to me, I was still skeptical: fish can easily stick or falls apart on the grill (even when it’s cooked in foil – see my post, “No Pots To Clean Gourmet Dinner.”) So I did something I almost never do – I watched the recipe video and it compelled me to try it. You can watch it on the recipe link above, or here (sorry for the ad):

Video: how to grill Snapper Escabèche with Grilled Scallions:

All you need for this dish is some very fresh red snapper fillets and a mandoline for thinly sliced red onion … Plus, it sits for at least 10 minutes after it comes off the grill, plenty of time to enjoy appetizers with friends.

I served it with these three make-ahead dishes – perfect for a dinner party:

And lots of rose wine of course.

I got several requests for the recipes – as I’m sure you’ll believe when you see how gorgeous these dishes were – and they were equally delicious:

The Snapper Escabeche: