So with all this fresh and wonderful seafood, I was feeling
fancy. This recipe looks super impressive, and is rather simple. I’d put it on
an intermediate cooking level, but is great for someone looking for a bit of a
challenge.
First, you are going to make the Risotto and the Beurre
Blanc sauce first. You want the fish to be the last thing cooked so it is still
warm and flaky.
I have a pretty solid risotto recipe from a friend so I
disregarded the one from the website and did my own.
Risotto:
1 tbsp butter 2
cloves minced garlic
1 cup Arborio Rice Approx.
6 cups broth
½ cup dry white wine Diced onions
Your choice of seafood or vegetables. I used a marisco mix
from Sam’s Club.
-
Go ahead and cook seafood or veggies prior to
starting risotto
1.) Melt butter in large dutch oven or pot on stove.
Sauté onions and garlic in butter until soft.
2.)
Add one
cup Arborio rice and stir until “toasted” (rice will barely begin to turn
color- about 2 minutes)
3.)
Add wine and stir until absorbed.
4.)
Now is the only “tricky part” and its not really
tricky. Add 1 cup of broth and stir until absorbed. Then add another cup of
broth, stir until absorbed. It’s a tedious process, but be patient and continue
this cycle- making sure it is absorbed each time or you will have soupy
risotto- this will probably take about 6 cups of broth. You will know you are
done when the risotto is soft and has a creamy texture.
5.)
Now add in any seasonings you would like (I
added a sprinkle of
Tony Chachere's ) and any seafood or vegetables. Cover and
keep warm
Beurre Blanc sauce: (this recipe makes 1 ½ cups of sauce.
Adjust accordingly for your needs)
1 cup finely sliced shallots 2
cups white wine (I used chardonnay)
3 tbsp white wine vinegar ½
tsp black peppercorns
1 bay leaf 1
tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp orange juice 1tbsp
lime juice
3 sticks butter (1 ½ cups) (cut into pieces) salt/white pepper to taste
1.)
Combine shallots, wine, vinegar, peppercorns,
bay leaf, and lemon, lime, orange juices together in 2 quart sauce pan. Cook
15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
2.)
Reduce heat to low and begin adding butter one
slice at a time, whisking after each piece is added, until all is melted.
Strain liquid and discard solid remains.
3.)
Set aside and keep warm
Now on to the finale! The grouper!!!!
Pan seared grouper:
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil salt
and pepper grouper fillets
-First- make sure the skillet you choose is oven safe!!!
1.)
Preheat oven to 450 (you may want to make sure
oven has reached temp before proceeding because the next few steps only take a
few minutes)
2.)
Heat oil in large skillet on high
3.)
While oil is heating salt and pepper fillets on
both sides.
4.)
Reduce heat to medium and add fish to skillet
5.)
Cook two minutes, flipping once
6.)
Transfer skillet with fish straight to oven.
Bake for 6 minutes or until fish is cooked through. At least 130 internal temperature.
Now, when everything is ready begin plating process. Begin
by creating a nice little bed of the seafood/vegetable risotto. Then choose a
filet and lay it across the risotto. Now here’s the fun part- take the beurre
blanc sauce and spoon a generous amount on top/across the whole dish. Have fun and play with the presentation and
sauce. Add a lemon or orange peel on top to feel fancy!
