A hot cast-iron skillet gives red snapper a deeply seasoned blackened crust while keeping the center moist and flaky. Finished with a rich lemon-garlic cream sauce seasoned with Sibley’s Dockside Blend.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Blackened Red Snapper

• 4 red snapper fillets, about 5–6 ounces each

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

• 1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil

• 2 tablespoons Sibley’s Blackening Blend, or enough to coat both sides

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Dockside Cream Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 small shallot, finely minced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ cup dry white wine 

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons Sibley’s Dockside Blend

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Prepare the fish. Pat the snapper fillets completely dry. Brush both sides with melted butter, then season generously and evenly with Sibley’s Blackening Blend.

2. Start the cream sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Reduce the sauce. Pour in the wine or seafood stock and simmer until reduced by about half.

4. Finish the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream, Dockside Blend and Dijon mustard. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the lemon juice, green onions and parsley. Keep warm over low heat without boiling.

5. Heat the skillet. Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat until very hot. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat the skillet.

6. Blacken the snapper. Place the fillets in the skillet without crowding them. Cook for 2–3 minutes without moving, until a dark crust develops. Turn carefully and cook for another 2–3 minutes, depending on thickness.

7. Check for doneness. The snapper is ready when it flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

8. Serve. Spoon the Dockside cream sauce onto each plate and place the blackened snapper over the sauce. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Smokehouse Note

A properly heated cast-iron skillet creates the signature blackened crust. Open a window or turn on the exhaust fan before cooking—the seasoning and butter will produce some smoke. Place the sauce beneath the fish so the crisp crust stays intact.

Featured Seasonings

Sibley’s Blackening Blend builds the bold, dark crust on the snapper, while Sibley’s Dockside Blend gives the cream sauce its savory Gulf Coast character.