I was at the fish house the other day and I saw they had broomtail grouper. My good friend Mike Walter showed me broomtail a few years ago, and every time a fish market gets it I have to get some. The sauce I made for it was a cilantro cream sauce I tasted at a Spanish restaurant down in Mexico (It was over Ahi Tuna). I haven’t been able to figure out how they made it so light and sweet, but I’m getting pretty close. This sauce works so well over all white fish, chicken, and even over veges, or as a light salad dressing.
Here is the recipe for the sauce.
- 1-2 bunches of Cilantro
- 1/2 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream (optional)
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Blend everything together in a food processor, blender, magic bullet or whatever blends well. Taste it and see what you want different. If you like more lime, charge it. More cilantro? Add some. Don’t be stuck with the recipe. I do it different every time so I don’t get bored with it. There are no rules!
Fish and Veggies
Simply cut up some of your favorite veggies (I got some really cool fresh bell peppers and tomatillos from my garden). I like to cook peppers just until they are colored but not overcooked. I said there’s no rules, but here’s one. Don’t overcrowd the pan! Especially with veggies that have a lot of water in them like bell peppers. Too much in a small pan will make a soupy mess, and you wont get that good caramelization. Get a bigger (cast iron) pan, and you’ll be styling. The water will have more of a chance to evaporate if there is more pan space. Put olive oil in the pan, throw your veg in there, salt and pepper, and cook until they are cooked to your liking ( I like mine a bit undercooked). Pan sear or grill the fish, and plate it on top of the veg. Then drizzle the sauce on top of everything. Simple but good.
The main concept here is that you only need to season your fish and veg with salt and pepper. Don’t panic and start throwing crap on there until it tastes like a mess. The sauce will add the perfect amount of flavor, and you’ll still be able to taste the essence of the origional ingredients. You want it to taste light and fresh, NOT like you just threw your spice rack at it. Good ingredients will speak for themselves.
And please DONT wrap anything in bacon. That’s cheating. I’m sure bacon wrapped turd is delicious.
Enjoy.
