This dish is all about my home state,” Hopkins says. The grouper represents the coast, while the creamy butter beans, tomato and dill exemplify the seasonal bounty. “It’s Georgia on a plate.
Quick Fish Recipes
Recipe from Food & Wine Best New Chefs All-Star Cookbook
How to Make It
Preheat the oven to 300°. In a foil-lined cake pan, drizzle the garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 11/2 hours, until soft and caramelized. Let cool.
Halve the heads of garlic crosswise. Squeeze out the cloves; discard the skins. In a blender, combine the roasted garlic cloves with the sherry vinegar, mustard and sorghum syrup and puree. With the machine on, drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil until incorporated. Season the roasted garlic vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the apple cider vinegar, dill, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir in the butter beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and shallot. Season the salad with salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Season the fish fillets with salt, add to the skillet skin side down and cook over moderate heat until the skin is golden and the fish is cooked halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the fillets over and add the butter and thyme sprigs to the skillet. Cook until the grouper is white throughout, basting occasionally with the butter, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Squeeze the lemon over the fish. Discard the thyme sprigs.
Spoon the tomato and butter bean salad onto plates. Set the fish on top, drizzle with some of the vinaigrette and serve.
Make Ahead
Notes
Sorghum syrup, sometimes referred to as sorghum molasses, is available online at zingermans.com.