Grouper Matacumbe (30-Minute Meal)

Dinner made from scratch is a breeze with this pan fried Grouper Matecumbe. I paired it with Baked Mashed Potatoes and a Fig, Pear and Pistachio Salad for a 30-minute dinner.

Last year around this time, my husband and I vacationed in the Florida Keys. We stayed in Islamorada. One of the days, we visited the John Pennecamp State Park. When we were leaving the park, we asked one of the Rangers for a recommendation of where to eat. She recommended The Fish House.

We both ordered the Grouper Matacumbe. You can read all about our experience at The Fish House here.

Gary and I enjoyed our dish so much that I told him that I would try to recreate it at home. I made a mental note of the ingredients. I already made a similar sauce that I use on fish, so I didn’t think that it would be that hard.

Grouper Matecumbe
Yields 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 grouper fillets
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons capers
6 San Marzano tomatoes, chopped (or tomato of your choice)
5-6 basil leaves, julienned
1/2 lemons juiced and zested
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil (I used lemon olive oil)
Salt and pepper
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Directions:
For the Matecumbe sauce:
To a medium bowl, add all ingredients except fish and stir to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate until ready to use; it is best to let flavors blend for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
For the fish:
Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in frying plan. Season fish with salt and pepper. Fry 2-3 minutes on each side. Top each fillet with 1/2 the sauce.

Serve immediately with baked mashed potatoes and a salad (I made a pear, fig and pistachio salad).