Recipe - Pargo Relleno (Stuffed Red Snapper)

5 pound Red snapper
cleaned and prepared
for baking, with
backbone removed
and head and tail left on
(or substitute sea bass
striped bass, or pike )
Juice of 4 limes
2 Cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Black pepper to taste

FOR THE STUFFING
4 sl White bread, torn into
small pieces
One half cup Milk
2 tablespoon Spanish olive oil
2 tablespoon Salted butter
1 small Onion, finely chopped
One half small Green bell pepper,
seeded and finely chopped
1 small Tomato, seeded and
finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
One half cup Minced baked ham
3 tablespoon Dry sherry
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Finely chopped parsley
Salt
Black pepper to taste
One half pound Small raw shrimp,
shelled and deveined
1 Lobster tail simmered
in salted water to
cover over medium heat
until
cooked, about 5 minutes,
and cut or sliced up into 4 pieces

Rinse the fish, pat it dry with paper towels, and place it on a
nonreactive platter. Squeeze the lime juice over the skin, and rub the fish
inside and out with garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at
least 1 hour.
To prepare the stuffing, soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl. In a
mediumsize skillet over low heat, heat the oil and butter until fragrant,
then cook the onion, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, and ham, stirring, until
the onion is tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sherry,
Worcestershire, and parsley, mix thoroughly, remove from the heat, and
allow to cool slightly. Squeeze the bread to remove the excess milk, stir
into the mixture, and add salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drain the fish and reserve the marinade
(there will be a small amount). Stuff the fish with the stuffing mixture,
arrange the shrimp and lobster slices on top of the stuffing, and sew up
the pocket with needle and thread or secure with toothpicks or skewers.
Transfer the fish to a shallow baking pan lined with welloiled aluminum
foil, allowing for enough overlap to pick up the fish. If the tail does not
fit in the pan, wrap it in foil. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish,
drizzle with a bit of oil, place in the oven, and bake, uncovered, until
the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. For an even
crisper skin, place in a preheated broiler for the last 3 to 4 minutes of
cooking time. Transfer the fish carefully to a serving platter, remove the
thread, toothpicks, or skewers, and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip