Equipment
Ingredients
Fish
- 300 g red snapper fillets, skinless, pin bones removed
- 2 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 20 g lemon, sliced into thin rounds
Egg Sauce
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
- 100 g sour cream, room temperature
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 10 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 2 g sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 437 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 990 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 303 mg
- Potassium
- 815 mg
- Calcium
- 145 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 65 mg
- Phosphorus
- 446 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 303 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin D
- 16.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 5.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 41 mcg
- Water
- 210 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, chop the hard-boiled eggs into fine pieces.
In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped eggs, sour cream, melted butter, fresh dill, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir well until evenly incorporated and set aside.
Fill a large pot with 2.5 centimeters of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place the steamer basket inside, ensuring the water does not touch the bottom of the basket.
Season the red snapper fillets evenly on both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange the lemon slices in an even layer in the steamer basket and lay the seasoned fish directly on top of the citrus.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and steam the fish for 8 to 10 minutes. The snapper is ready when it turns completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork, reaching an internal temperature of 63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carefully transfer the steamed red snapper fillets to warm serving plates. Spoon the rich sour cream and egg sauce generously over the top of the hot fish and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For the best texture and color in your sauce, boil your eggs for exactly 9 minutes, then transfer them immediately to an ice bath. This prevents the yolks from forming a green sulfur ring and keeps them creamy.
- Full-fat sour cream is essential for this recipe. Low-fat or fat-free versions contain stabilizers that may turn watery or lack the necessary richness to balance the lean steamed fish.
- Laying the fish on lemon slices serves a dual purpose: it prevents the delicate fillets from sticking to the steamer basket and infuses a gentle, aromatic citrus vapor into the meat as it cooks.
- If red snapper is unavailable, this method and sauce work beautifully with other firm, white-fleshed fish such as cod, halibut, or haddock.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the sauce and the fish in separate airtight containers. Reheat the fish very gently to avoid overcooking.
Troubleshooting
The egg sauce is too thick or clumpy.
Cause: The eggs were chopped too coarsely, or the sour cream was too cold and seized when the melted butter was added.
Fix: Stir in warm water, one teaspoon at a time, until the sauce loosens to the desired consistency.
Prevention: Finely mince the eggs and ensure the sour cream has come to room temperature before mixing.
The fish is mushy or falling apart entirely.
Cause: The fish was overcooked, or the water was boiling too vigorously, causing violent steam that destroyed the delicate flesh.
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the sauce will help mask minor textural flaws.
Prevention: Maintain a gentle simmer and check the fish at the 8-minute mark.
Cultural Context
Sauces based on chopped hard-boiled eggs and dairy are a hallmark of Eastern European and Scandinavian cooking, originally designed to add richness to lean river and sea catches. This modern interpretation uses sour cream for a bright, tangy profile that perfectly complements the delicate nature of steamed red snapper, making it an ideal warming dish for fall.
