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Red Snapper Française with Butter and Lemon Sauce

What makes Française (“in the French style”) different from other sautéed dishes is the eggs. Anything cooked à la Française is dredged in flour first, then dipped in beaten eggs before you sauté it. Most similarly prepared dishes are dredged in flour only. The eggs add a lot of flavor and texture—but also fat. I tried using a low-fat egg substitute, and it worked like a charm. Matter of fact, enough calories were shaved off that I was able to put some butter back in and still keep it under 240 calories per serving. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

4 skinless red snapper fillets (4 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 cup egg substitute
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season the fish with salt and pepper. Put the 1/2 cup flour in a shallow dish. Put the egg substitute in another shallow dish. Dredge the fillets in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then coat the fillets in the egg substitute and let them sit in the substitute until ready to add to the pan.

    Step 2

    Heat 2 large nonstick sauté pans over medium heat. When the pans are hot, spray them with cooking spray and add 2 fillets to each pan. Cook until the fillets are golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a serving platter, and tent it with foil to keep them warm.

    Step 3

    In one of the sauté pans, melt the butter over high heat. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons flour into the butter. Add the lemon juice and chicken broth, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.

    Step 4

    Stir in the parsley, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Spoon the sauce over the fish, and serve.

  2. nutrition information

    Step 5

    Fat: 36g (before), 8.6g (after)

    Step 6

    Calories: 611 (before), 232 (after)

    Step 7

    Protein: 29g

    Step 8

    Carbohydrates: 11g

    Step 9

    Cholesterol: 57mg

    Step 10

    Fiber: 2g

    Step 11

    Sodium: 396mg

Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.
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