Snapper fingers with orange-tarragon mayo

Andrew Zimmern shares a recipe for golden, seasoned fish fingers served with a orange, tarragon and mustard-flavoured mayonnaise.

Snapper fingers with orange-tarragon mayo. Credit: Andrew Zimmern's Wild Game Kitchen

• serves

  4

• prep

  7 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 900 g (2 lbs) yellowtail snapper fillets (or substitute other firm white fish)
• 1.9-2.8 L (2-3 quarts) peanut or canola oil
• 1 cup corn starch (cornflour)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
• 1½ tbsp seasoning blend (see Note)
• Salt, to taste

Orange-tarragon mayo

• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 seeded and cleaned serrano chilli (pepper), chopped (see Note)
• 1 cup fresh tarragon leaves, loosely packed
• ¼ cup sweet pickle, minced
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1½ tbsp orange juice
• Lemon juice to taste
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. To make the mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, white vinegar, mustard, serrano pepper, tarragon, sweet pickles, and orange zest in a large deep blending cup. I use a 6 cup Pyrex measure for this. Blend using an immersion wand (stick blender) with the blending attachment. Slowly add the canola oil in a thin stream, emulsifying the sauce, then do the same with the olive oil. Stir in the orange juice and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and set aside to serve with the fish fingers.
2. Skin and trim the snapper fillets, discarding the skin and trim. Cut into roughly 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide goujonettes or “fingers”.
3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven to 190°C (375°F).
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch and flour. Divide this mixture evenly into two mixing bowls. Add the buttermilk to one of the bowls, whisking until smooth. You want a consistency similar to a runny pancake batter. Add salt and seasoning to the other bowl, whisking to combine.
5. In batches, dip the snapper fingers into the wet batter, then into the dry starch mix, and place immediately into the hot oil. Cook the fish in batches, for about 3 minutes each, until brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet tray. Season liberally with salt. Serve immediately with the seasoned mayo.

Note

• Andrew Zimmern uses his Badia Andrew Zimmern's Lemon Shallot Seasoning, but suggests using your favorite all-purpose blend as an alternative.
• If you can’t get serrano chillis, jalapeños can be substituted, as the flavour is similar, although jalapeños are not as hot as serrano chillies.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.