AN SEARED GULF RED SNAPPER WITH OAKVIEW FARMS GRANARY CORN GRITS AND ALABAMA VEGETABLE RATATOUILLE

Ingredients

Grits
5 cups of whole milk
1 cup grits
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and white pepper to taste

Ratatouille
1 eggplant
2 zucchini
½ red onion
3 large tomatoes
1 sweet bell pepper (red, yellow or orange)
Chopped parsley
Thyme sprig
Basil
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

4 Gulf red snapper fillets (with or without skin)
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation

In a heavy saucepan pour grits into 4 cups of salted milk, then stir and skim chaff from the surface.
Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer while constantly stirring. Let simmer for 30 minutes, paying close attention not to burn the bottom of the pan. Add remaining milk to your preference to adjust thickness. Finish with butter, salt and white pepper.

Cut eggplant into a 1/4-inch dice, salt the eggplant and spread onto a lined pan and let the salt leach out the bitterness (20-30 minutes). Wipe off excess salt with paper towel before adding to ratatouille. Peel the tomatoes. (Cut an X in the top of each tomato and remove the core. Place into boiling salted water for 15-30 seconds until skin loosens then plunge into an ice bath. The skin should easily pull away from the flesh.) Cut each tomato into quarters and remove the seeds. Dice into 1/4-inch pieces. Dice the pepper, onion and zucchini into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large cast iron skillet heat the olive oil, add the diced peppers and onions and let soften for two minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini and let cook for 2-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme sprig and deglaze with the vegetable stock. Let stew for 2-4 minutes. Finish with parsley, torn basil and salt and pepper to taste. (Remove thyme sprig before serving)

Heat a skillet. Add oil.
Season the snapper. Place snapper in the skillet, skin side down, and gently press down on the fillet to make sure all the skin is touching the pan. The skin will naturally release when the skin is almost crisp. Make sure the skin is crispy before turning the fish. Turn the fish. Finish in the oven if necessary.