Pan-Fried Red Snapper with Chipotle Butter

   

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

• ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ to 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from can)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 red snapper fillets with skin (1 ½ lb total)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Accompaniment: lime wedges

Mash together butter, chipotles to taste, adobo sauce, and salt with a fork until blended.

Pat fish dry and cut each fillet in half crosswise, then season with salt and pepper. Spread flour on a plate and dredge fish, knocking off excess.

Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then panfry fish, skin sides up first, in batches, turning over once, until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer as cooked with a slotted spatula to plates and add more oil to skillet as needed. Top fish with dollops of chipotle butter.

Makes 4 servings.