There’s not much you can’t do with a nice piece of Grouper. This recipe proves it.

I came into possession of a couple of pounds of, right off the boat, Red Grouper recently and went straight to the fridge & pantry to see what I had to work with. The one thing that jumped out was strawberries. We had overbought and had way more strawberries than we had plans for using. Being the “garbage pail” cook that I am, and hating the idea of wasting good strawberries, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to suss out a way to incorporate the berries into a dinner dish. While this approach doesn’t always turn out well, this one absolutely did. Pairing the buttery jerk base of the pan fried fish with the gingery sweetness of the strawberry compote hit the mark big time.

Ingredients

• Red Grouper – 1+lb
• Ginger – thumb sized piece
• Fresh Strawberries – 1lb
• Orange Juice – 1/3 Cup
• Brown Sugar – 1/4 Cup
• White Pepper – to taste
• Pistachios – 1/3 Cup chopped
• Jerk Seasoning Powder – to taste
• Butter – 1 or 2 pats

Putting It All Together

The ingredient set for the meal is short and uncomplicated. Good fish, fruit & nuts and a couple of simple sides.

Liberally sprinkle the Grouper with jerk seasoning. Set to one side. **How about those tasty looking cheeks?!? They never even made it to the table:)

In a medium sauce pan, combine the strawberries, brown sugar, ginger white pepper and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 20 – 30 minutes or until the strawberries have broken down sufficiently and you have reached a reasonably thickened consistency. You can help the berries along by mashing them a little as they cook. The end product should be like a slightly runny jam. Leftover compote will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks and is great smeared on a piece of buttered toast.

When the strawberries are a little better half way done, toss a pat of butter in a skillet on medium heat and pan fry the grouper. Depending on the thickness of the fish, cooking time will be 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to the plate and let set for a minute or two prior to serving.

Lay down a spoonful or two of the compote as a bed for the Grouper. Place the fish and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. For sides, we have asparagus and sweet potatoes with butter & cinnamon. The gingery sweetness of the compote dictates (for this cook) sides that either do not challenge at all or extend the spice profile themselves. The combo we have here worked very well. If you try this dish we’d love to hear from you regarding your experience.

Bon Appetit, tight lines and good eats!