Preparation Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the flour to a shallow dish. Use paper towels to pat the grouper fillets dry. One at a time, dredge a fillet through the flour until it’s coated on both sides. Tap off the excess flour and season both sides with salt.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan overmedium heat until it shimmers. Place the fillets skin side down and cook without moving them or shaking the pan until they easily release from the pan, about 5 minutes (test by sliding a spatula beneath the fillet—you should have no trouble lifting it up).
- Flip the fillets, then transfer the skillet to theoven. Cook until the fish is opaque all the way through and it flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a potholder to hold the pan handle. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the fillets to a platter.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the tomato, capers, shallot, and garlic followed by a splash of lemon juice; use a wooden spoon or a spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the shallot is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes (if the garlic begins to brown, reduce the heat to medium-low). Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the fillets and serve.
Variations
PINEAPPLE-LIME SAUCE
Before dredging the fish in flour, season the flour with 1 tablespoon jerk spices. Omit the capers and substitute 1⁄2 cup chopped pineap-ple for the tomato. Finish the sauce with lime juice instead of lemon juice.
MUSHROOM-WINE SAUCE
Substitute 1 cup sliced wild mushrooms for the tomatoes. Finish the sauce with white wine instead of lemon juice. Serve sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley.
Pro Tip
A bread knife happens to be a great tool for peeling and cutting pineapples! The sharp teeth on the blade make removing the tough skin an easy job.
