Ingredients:
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
fish bones:
4 8 oz. portions of black grouper -- (or other, firm
fish; snapper)
1/2 ounce peanut oil for cooking fish
Rhum and Pepper Paint:
2 1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
12 whole cloves
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup light rum
2 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Mango-Habanero Mojo:
1 ripe, juicy mango, peeled and cut from
stone
1/4 cup Chardonnay
1/2 cup orange juice, fresh
1/2 fresh habanero -- minced |
Preparation:
RUM PEPPER PAINT
To make the rum pepper paint, toast the black peppercorns and the cloves together in a dry skillet over moderately high heat until you see puffs of smoke (about one minute). Grind them together in spice grinder. Transfer to heavy sauce pan and ad the remaining ingredients and heat together over medium heat.
Mixture will begin to foam as it reduces. When reduced by approx. one-half, about 25-35 minutes, strain it through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl. Reserve until needed.
MANGO-HABANERO MOJO
Blend the mango, Chardonnay and orange juice together in a blender. Add the minced habanero/chile and reserve.
METHOD
Just before serving, preheat oven to 450-deg. F Paint the fish liberally on the skin side only and store them on a plate. Warm the mojo in a small saucepan until just barely hot.
Heat a large skillet until almost smoking hot. Add some peanut oil and carefully add the fish, painted side down. Shake the pan to avoid sticking.
When fish is quite dark on painted side, flip it over, degrease the pan, and place the pan into pre-heated oven. Bake the fish 7 - 9 minutes. Ladle about 4 ounces of the mojo sauce onto each serving plate. Now remove the fish from the pan and place it on top of the sauce. Serve with a wedge of lime.
NOTE: when making the rhum and pepper paint, the rum can suddenly ignite when reducing. Be SURE to have a lid or another pan handy to cover the paint pan. It will immediately extinguish the oxygen and the flame. The lower the heat a touch, remove the lid, and proceed. |