Since taking over the Big Fin Seafood Kitchen in 2020, executive chef Eric Enrique has been making changes to the menu. One of the additions has been his Grouper Piccata, a take on the classic Italian preparation usually done with veal or chicken. Enrique has tweaked it for fish and for added flair deep fries the capers that garnish it. When I recently reviewed the restaurant, this dish was easily my favorite.
In this episode of Scott’s Kitchen, Enrique walks me through the steps to make the dish. This is definitely one that will impress your dinner guests.
Watch the video below then find yourself some good grouper and give it a try.
Grouper Piccata from Big Fin Seafood Kitchen
7 ounces grouper(skin off) per serving
1 cup capers
¼ cup chopped parsley
3 whole black peppercorns
1 whole dry bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
¼ cup lemon juice
1/2 pound unsalted butter (cubed)
Salt & white pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
Handful of arugula
2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning
5 spears of asparagus (per person) oven roasted or grilled
Add the black peppercorns, bay leaf, shallots, white wine, lemon juice and heavy cream to a sauce pot on medium heat and reduce liquid to a quarter of what you started with.
Divide the capers into ½ cup for lemon buerre blanc and ½ cup for deep fried.
Chop ½ cup of capers and combine with the chopped parsley.
Once the sauce is reduced, turn heat to low and start adding the cold butter to the sauce pan a cube at a time, stirring slowly to make sure the butter does not break and the sauce does not separate. Once you finish with the butter and you have a creamy sauce, strain the sauce into another pan then add and mix the chopped capers and parsley. Season the sauce with salt to taste.
Set sauce aside in a warm place on stove or in a water bath.
Fry Capers in a deep fryer or a pan with oil heated to 350F until crispy. Place capers on a paper towel to drain oil. Season capers with Old Bay seasoning.
Add 2 ounces of clarified butter to a nonstick or cast iron skillet that can be placed in the oven. Season fish with salt and white pepper. Place flesh side of fish down in skillet and sear until the edge starts to turn golden. Do not turn the fish. Place skillet with fish in oven heated to 450F and cook until medium (this should take about 5 minutes). Place asparagus in same pan as fish and cook at same time as fish or cook on a grill.
While fish is cooking, place arugula in a salad bowl and dress arugula with olive oil and a lemon squeeze.
Remove fish from oven and let rest for a minute. Place five spears of asparagus on each plate then place fish on asparagus. Drizzle sauce over fish. Place arugula on top of fish. Garnish with fried capers.
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