Here’s a luxurious and restaurant-quality recipe for Seaside Snapper with Lobster Cream Sauce — perfect for special occasions or when you want to impress with an elegant seafood dish. The tender, flaky snapper is pan-seared and served with a rich, silky lobster-infused cream sauce that’s surprisingly simple to make at home.
🐟 Seaside Snapper with Lobster Cream Sauce
🍽️ Serves: 2–4
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min
📝 Ingredients:
For the Snapper:
- 2–4 snapper fillets, skin on or off (about 6 oz each)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- Lemon wedges, for serving
For the Lobster Cream Sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup cooked lobster meat, finely chopped (tail or claw)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc)
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, for depth)
- 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese (optional, adds savory richness)
- Salt & white pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish
👩🍳 Instructions:
1. Prepare the Lobster Cream Sauce:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add shallot and sauté until soft (about 2–3 minutes), then add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Stir in the lobster meat and cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer until reduced by half.
- Lower heat and add cream. Simmer gently (don’t boil) until slightly thickened, about 5–7 minutes.
- Stir in Dijon, Parmesan (if using), lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.
- Keep warm on low heat.
2. Cook the Snapper:
- Pat snapper fillets dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the fillets skin-side down (if skin-on). Sear 3–4 minutes without moving them to get a crisp crust.
- Flip and cook another 2–3 minutes, depending on thickness, until opaque and flakes easily.
3. Plate & Serve:
- Spoon a generous layer of lobster cream sauce onto a plate.
- Place the seared snapper fillet on top.
- Garnish with chopped herbs and serve with lemon wedges.
🍽️ Perfect Pairings:
- Sides: Garlic mashed potatoes, buttered asparagus, or sautéed spinach
- Wine: Chardonnay, Viognier, or a light Pinot Grigio
- Bread: Warm crusty baguette to soak up the sauce