This was a super simple, light and easy meal……perfect after a big weekend of fine food and too much wine!  Moist, oven baked snapper fillets topped with crispy, parmesan  and lemon infused crumbs and a big wad of zingy, fresh tomato and caper salsa.  Pop a few green beans or a crisp green salad on the side and you have yourself a perfectly balanced meal.

Prep time:  15  Minutes                     Cooking time:  25  Minutes                     $$  Low-Medium Budget

Serves 4

4 x 150gm snapper fillets  (Ling, Blue Eye or Barramundi would be equally delicious)

2 cups of panko breadcrumbs*

1 cup of grated parmesan cheese (loosely packed)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove of garlic, finely diced or crushed

2 tbs of finely chopped continental parsley

40gm of butter, melted

Sea salt and cracked pepper

For the Salsa:

3 ripe roma or truss tomatoes

1 tbs of baby capers, drained and roughly chopped

1/2 a small red onion, very finely diced

2 tbs of finely chopped continental parsley

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and cracked pepper

Pre heat the oven to 180°C.

Place the breadcrumbs, parmesan, lemon zest, garlic, parsley and melted butter in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Use your fingers or a spoon to mix the crumbs so that they are all coated in the butter.

Place the snapper fillets on a lined baking tray. Drizzle a squeeze of lemon juice over each fillet and then pile the crumbs on top, pressing down gently so that they stick.  Place the snapper in the oven for 20-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish) until golden and cooked through.

Quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds  so that all your are left with is the outer flesh.  Slice them thinly lengthways and then thinly again crossways so you have nicely diced tomato.  Place the tomato in a small bowl with the capers, onion and parsley, drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in the lemon juice.  Season with a little salt (not too much as the capers are salty) and pepper and mix well with a spoon to combine.

To serve, gently lift the fish from the oven tray with a spatula and place them on a plate.  Top each fish fillet with a generous scoop of the tantalising salsa and serve!

*Panko crumbs are found in the Asian section of most supermarkets.  If you are unable to get them, normal breadcrumbs will do…….