one pan wonder – steamed red snapper over kale- pure health food

mike + sarah monahan with large gulf red snapper circa 1996

we use a lot of fresh kale at the fish market. all year long we display our fish steaks and skinless fillets on a bed of kale to protect the fats and flavor from being leached out by the ice. this time of year our fish case looks especially nice because it’s local kale season!

every wednesday and saturday at the ann arbor farmers market (right outside our door), farmer george merkel and his daughter, margaret stech, sell a variety of curly kale called vates blue, some of the most beautiful kale you’ll see all year. depending on the weather, there’s a good chance that they’ll offer it right into december. aside from being a great garnish, kale is delicious and one of the most healthful foods out there. a superfood that’s high in fiber, vitamins, calcium and antioxidants (to name a few), kale, especially steamed, is tasty and really good for you.

combine steamed kale topped with a fillet of one of the fancier, most delicious fish in america, gulf red snapper, and you’ve got a fantastic one-pan meal! genuine gulf red snapper (not one of the many fish sold as red snapper) is a great fish for steaming. its firm texture and delicate, sweet flavor is perfect for today’s steamed fish over kale recipe. this dish is served with the snapper fillet, skin side up, to show off the beautiful rosy red skin. substitute any meaty, firm, lean fish such as halibut, cod or striped bass (we have wild rhode island stripers coming in today). serve with a side of rice and you’ll be amazed that a meal that’s so healthful can be so good.

click here for recipe