Crispy Skinned Florida Yellowtail Snapper, Red Lentil, and Yellow Crab Cassoulet with Sweet and Sour Tangelo Cascabel Syrup

Ingredients:

For the Red Lentil Cassoulet:
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 leek, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 sachet, thyme, bay leaf, black peppercorns
2 cups red lentils, soaked
5 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp glace de viande (concentrated veal stock)
3 oz yellow crab
1 tsp thyme, chopped

Sweet and Sour Tangelo Cascabel syrup:
1 1/2 cups Tangelo orange juice
1 Tbsp Tangelo orange zest
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups unrefined sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
1 sachet, thyme, bay leaf, black peppercorns
2 cardamon pods, whole
6 cascabel chiles, toasted and seeded

Fish:
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 (6-oz) yellowtail snapper
2 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, peeled and shaved

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small pan saute the onions, carrots, celery, and leeks in olive oil until tender. Add the sachet and red lentils to the Sauteed vegetables and stir together. Add the chicken stock, glace de viande, crabmeat, and thyme into the pan, and stir until well mixed. Transfer all ingredients into an ovenproof dish and place in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until lentils are tender.

To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a small pot. Slowly reduce the liquid and aromatics until it becomes a syrup and set aside.

In a small saute pan over medium heat, coat the bottom with the grapeseed oil. Place the snapper skin side down and sear for approximately 2 minutes. Turn fish and place butter and shallots on the skin side. Finish fish under a salamander or broiler basting it with butter.

To serve, place some of the red lentil cassoulet in the center of each plate. Place the snapper in the center and drizzle the glaze around the fish and lentils.

Serves 4.

Recipe by Ted Peters, Loews Hotel, Florida, via foodnetwork.com