This month our featured “Fun Fish” is Black Grouper sourced from Nicaragua.
Similar to most groupers, Black Grouper start out as females and then at a certain age and size, become males. They prefer rocky bottoms around reefs where they eat smaller fish and crustaceans. Black Grouper can grow up to 50 inches long and can weigh up to 180 pounds!
This fish has a very mild flavor, somewhere in between seabass and halibut, with large, chunky flakes almost like lobster or crab. Black Grouper is very easy to prepare and can be baked, broiled, fried, grilled or steamed. They are considered a good source of vitamin B6, B12, phosphorous, potassium and selenium.
This month, we teamed up with Chef Howard Lewis of Elevation Foodservice Reps for a fun fish “cook-off” with Seattle Fish R&D Chef Peter Rauen. The two chefs prepared a Mediterranean-Style Black Grouper using two types of equipment in the Elevation Chefs Playground (six-burner grill and electric plancha), using the below recipe developed by Chef Howard.
If you’d like more information about Black Grouper or the Fun Fish program, reach out to your SFC rep today!
Mediterranean-Style Black Grouper
Ingredients:
– Grouper (~6 oz, per serving)
– ½ cup Fingerling potatoes, par-cooked and sliced into coins
– ½ cup Baby artichokes, quartered and blanched
– ¼ cup Cherry tomatoes, roasted at high heat until skin is blistered
– 1 Tbsp Kalamata olives, seeded and roughly chopped
– ¼ Cup Red onion, small diced
– ¼ Tsp Garlic, minced
– Parsley, chopped
– Crushed Red Pepper
– Olive Oil
– Balsamic Vinegar
Recipe:
- Heat a sauté pan to a medium high temperature. Season the grouper with salt and black pepper.
- Add one teaspoon of olive oil to sauté pan and sear grouper skin side down for two minutes. Turn and sear for an additional two minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat another sauté pan to medium high heat, then add one teaspoon of olive oil, fingerling potato coins, artichokes, and red onion. Sauté briefly, then add minced garlic and continue cooking until potatoes are crisp and golden.
- Add blistered tomatoes, chopped olives, a pinch of crushed red peppers and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Sauté briefly until tomatoes are at temp. Check seasoning.
- Spoon the vegetables onto a warm plate, drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with a teaspoon of chopped parsley. Place the grouper on top of the vegetables and serve.
PS the Elevation Reps Chef’s Playground is always open for chefs to visit and demo their products. If you’d like to find out more information or schedule a demo, click here!