Chef Jason Stocks’s mangrove snapper with summer succotash, sweet corn puree, king crab and ramp butter; photo courtesy of Libby Volgyes

Read the Chef’s full story here.

MANGROVE SNAPPER WITH SUMMER SUCCOTASH, SWEET CORN PURÉE, KING CRAB AND RAMP BUTTER

SERVES 6

MANGROVE SNAPPER WITH SUMMER SUCCOTASH

• 6 mangrove snapper filets extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup Florida sweet corn, roasted and removed from cob
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 cups fingerling potatoes, cut in half
• 3 cups seasonal beans or peas (green beans, pole beans, soy beans, English peas, black-eyed peas)
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock unsalted butter, as needed salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups sweet corn purée (recipe follows)
• 1 cup ramp butter (recipe to follow)
• 1 pound king crab or Florida blue crab from Pine Island
• 1 cup fresh herbs
• 4 lemons

PREPARATION: Season the mangrove snapper filets while the oil heats in a sauté pan. When whisps of smoke come off the pan, add the fish skin-side down and sear at high heat for 30 seconds. Lower heat to medium and let the fish become golden brown. Transfer to a sheet tray seared side up, and finish cooking in a preheated 350-degree oven for 6-8 minutes. While the fish is baking, sauté corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and beans or peas until warm. Add the stock and reduce by half, and add a couple pats of butter and stir into vegetables. Squeeze lemon on the vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper.

PLATING: Put a spoonful of the warm sweet corn purée on the bottom of the plates. Portion the vegetables onto the six plates without transferring too much liquid from the pan to the plate. Put the fish on top of the vegetables, and spoon ramp butter on top. Mix crab with herbs, lightly dress with olive oil and lemon, and season to taste. Garnish the top of the mangrove snapper with the salad.

SWEET CORN PURÉE

• 12 ears of corn, corn off cob, cobs reserved
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup bacon, diced small
• 1 Vidalia onion, diced large
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• salt to taste

PREPARATION: Combine reserved corn cobs, thyme, sugar, bay leaves, white wine and 4 cups of water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Adjust stove temperature so stock simmers for 45 minutes, until there are 4 cups of liquid left in the pot to strain and reserve. Meanwhile, render the bacon until crispy, add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add corn kernels and sauté a few minutes more. Add corn stock and heavy cream and cook until corn is tender and slightly reduced. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. While blending, add butter gradually, and season with salt as needed. Keep warm.

RAMP BUTTER

• 24 ramps or other leeks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups white wine
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 shallot, chopped roughly
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 8 ounces butter, cold and diced salt to taste

PREPARATION: Remove the tops of ramps or other leeks, purée with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and reserve. Combine wine, thyme, bay leaf, shallot and peppercorns and reduce over medium heat until 1/4 cup of liquid remains. Remove from heat and remove herbs, shallot and peppercorns, cooling slightly. Whisk in butter slowly, to keep sauce emulsified, and then put it back on the heat to melt butter. Add ramp-top purée and mix thoroughly. Put it over the snapper and plate immediately.

Also try watermelon salad and buttermilk pie recipes by chef stocks.