Snapper with Grapefruit and Rosemary

I am really loving fish in a packet.  I've been trying more recipes with this cooking method, and it produces great results very easily.  You just wrap up fish with various flavorful ingredients, roast in the oven, and you're good to go.  It's particularly nice since it's very easy to make just one or two servings.  The only tricky part is getting the fish cooked through but not overcooked, since you can't see the fish while it's cooking.  This recipe called for cooking 30 minutes, which I found led to slightly overcooked fish.  It wasn't bad by any means, and the thicker pieces of the fillet were nice and moist, but the edges ended up a bit too dry.  So, I'd check after 20 minutes and pop the fish back in the oven if needed. 

The grapefruit and rosemary might sound like a slightly odd combination, but they actually worked very well together.  The grapefruit mellowed a bit in the oven, but still had a great acidity that paired perfectly with the mild fish and earthy rosemary.  I served this fish with pearled barley (toasted in olive oil, then simmered in chicken broth with a sprig of rosemary for about 45 minutes) and a green salad. 

Snapper with Grapefruit and Rosemary (adapted from Local Flavors)
Serves 2

Aluminum foil
1 T unsalted butter
2 snapper fillets, 4-6 ounces each
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ruby red grapefruit
1 tsp minced rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Tear off 2 pieces of foil, each about 2 feet long.  Fold in half. Rub the center of each piece lightly with butter (or spray with oil).
2. Rinse the fish, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place a piece of fish on each piece of foil, and divide the fruit among them. Sprinkle with rosemary and dot with the remaining butter.
3. Fold each piece of foil to make a loose but tightly sealed packet. Bake 20 minutes, then check for doneness and return to the oven if the fish is not cooked through.