RPCookin
Executive Chef
I believe grouper is one of those fish that has been frequently mislabeled; a cheaper fish was substituted for what you thought you were buying. Colorado had a pretty high incidence of this problem: One In Three Fish Sold At Restaurants And Grocery Stores Is Mislabeled : The Salt : NPR
I have never had that problem. I know what it is before I shoot it.
Certainly not a problem here. It would be more expensive to bring in a "cheaper" fish than it is to offer the real thing. The grouper and hogfish I buy are literally brought to shore about 75 yards from where I buy them. They have a gigantic walk-in freezer, and the fish are filleted right on the spot and immediately frozen. If my timing is right, I'll buy it fresh, but I haven't seen any difference between the two. I usually buy 5 pounds at a time, so I freeze most of it anyway.