What Is It About Grouper?

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If you had greasy grouper then it was not very well prepared. There is nothing greasy or oily about it.
I doubt it was fixed wrong. Hubby had lived in FL for a while before we were married. He knew a little fish hut on Fort Myers Beach that had perfect fish fresh off the boats, and we each got a lunch there. His was grouper. He loved it. Me, not so much. Maybe "oily" should be replaced by "rich". Maybe I'll try a bite of his again when we vacation at FMB this year. Our biggest problem is finding a new little fish hut - the old one is gone...:(
 
Regarding large grouper, those being over 20#, you will most likely find a lot of worms.

Blackened grouper, on a sandwich with roasted garlic tartar sauce is one of the best there is!:yum:
 
When people describe a fish saying 'it doesn't taste fishy' like it's a good thing, I don't bother with it. I like swordfish, salmon, bluefish - fish that have bold/distinctive flavors. I gravitate more to shellfish. Shrimp is my favorite, followed by lobster and sea scallops.


I heartily agree with you, Andy. The whole purpose of fish is for it to taste like fish! And don't cover up the taste with sauces etc. Just order something else that you like. Who would eat a steak that didn't taste steaky? LOL

The only time I ate grouper was at a seafood buffet we go to, but they have only had it twice. I loved it, but then I love any fish. It's usually my first choice when eating out. My son had it somewhere local served as a sandwich.
 
We saw at least 3 grouper that size or larger when we snorkeled off Key West. Amazing. We see a lot of juveniles 2 to 12 inches when we snorkel along the shore in Cozumel. Divers see the bigger guys.
 
Goliath grouper, I have seen them in a shroud of bait fish, where they were just a shadow like figure in the "mist". These babies were VW Beetle size. This was at the California "wreck", in the Gulf, SW of Naples, FL in 110' to 120'.
 
I like Walleye, too. There's a local restaurant that serves it and I used to order it often, but in the past year they have changed the way they prepare it and I don't like it anymore. It used to be cooked darker, like they put it under the broiler, but now it's lighter, swimming in a pool of butter. Not my thing. I have even asked that it be cooked "well done" but was still not happy with it. :mad:
 
I think when most people talk about "fishy taste" or "fishy smell", they are talking about fish that isn't fresh enough. I know that smell. A friend of mine calls it "harbour at low tide smell". Definitely something I want to avoid.
 
I think when most people talk about "fishy taste" or "fishy smell", they are talking about fish that isn't fresh enough. I know that smell. A friend of mine calls it "harbour at low tide smell". Definitely something I want to avoid.


I take the comment to mean they don't like stronger flavored fish but prefer milder flavored fish. I don't think degree of freshness is the key here.
 
I like Walleye, too. There's a local restaurant that serves it and I used to order it often, but in the past year they have changed the way they prepare it and I don't like it anymore. It used to be cooked darker, like they put it under the broiler, but now it's lighter, swimming in a pool of butter. Not my thing. I have even asked that it be cooked "well done" but was still not happy with it. :mad:

I'm a bit confused about this. Fish should never be "well done". That just makes it dry and often tough. Typically, a white fleshed fish should be cooked just until it flakes, or in some cases just until it's opaque.

I don't understand the "swimming in a pool of butter", if that's really what it is. I sometimes do fish (I've done cod, tilapia, grouper, wahoo all this way) in a foil packet with a butter and lemon sauce. Because of the sealed packet, any juices the fish gives off, as well as some water from the ring of onion and ring of bell pepper that I wrap up with it, it comes out of the foil with a nicely flavored but very thin and lemony sauce that I serve with the fish. Yes, there is butter in the sauce (and it looks like there is more than there is), but it's more water than anything. However, the fish is definitely cooked through, and wonderfully moist and tender. If something like that sauce is a problem for you then you like a different breed of fish than I do.

Mexico has it figured out. They have a specific season for grouper, for four months or so it's illegal to catch them.

I said earlier that the Bahamas has the same regulation. It allows the fish to spawn unmolested by legal fishing, although poaching by other nations is still rampant.
 
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Grouper is not a sustainable fish. Here is a recent study on sustainable seafood:

Sustainable Seafood - Eartheasy.com Solutions for Sustainable Living

Check other sources. This particular site is just a guy with a blog. His family and he are using it to make a living. Read the About Us page.

If you check more recent information, like that from the NOAA, you find that the work done to limit seasons and catches have been successful in restoring the grouper populations.
 
I take the comment to mean they don't like stronger flavored fish but prefer milder flavored fish. I don't think degree of freshness is the key here.

I agree with you, Andy. Grouper is a sweet, mild tasting fish, with a texture a bit firmer and denser than cod, but not as dense as halibut or sea bass. Grouper sandwich is a standard on almost any menu in my area that has seafood. Because of its popularity, the catches are controlled, and the price is higher than most similar white fishes.

The most common ways you find it on sandwiches are blackened or deep fried in batter, but you can usually ask for it grilled. The same cooking methods dominate non-sandwich preparations as well.

It doesn't have the oily or fattiness of some of the stronger fish like salmon, bluefish, tuna, etc, so of itself it's not as rich. But since the preparation often includes frying, it can be greasy if poorly prepared.

Several studies (not quoting - some seem legit, some shady) have turned up data that indicates as many as 50% of the restaurants serving 'grouper' are really serving something else. Apparently, once it's battered, fried, put in a bun and loaded with tartar sauce, most people can't distinguish it from haddock or cod, both of which are a lot cheaper than grouper.
 
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...Several studies (not quoting - some seem legit, some shady) have turned up data that indicates as many as 50% of the restaurants serving 'grouper' are really serving something else. Apparently, once it's battered, fried, put in a bun and loaded with tartar sauce, most people can't distinguish it from haddock or cod, both of which are a lot cheaper than grouper.

I've seen/heard the same thing. Destroys your faith in your fellow man.
 
Several studies (not quoting - some seem legit, some shady) have turned up data that indicates as many as 50% of the restaurants serving 'grouper' are really serving something else. Apparently, once it's battered, fried, put in a bun and loaded with tartar sauce, most people can't distinguish it from haddock or cod, both of which are a lot cheaper than grouper.

That is the reason I don't order fish at restaurants. There are exceptions, such as the places that display and let you pick the fish you want. Then they prep it in front of you. They are few and far between. Besides, I think we do a better job at home than any restaurant could possibly do.
 
I'm a bit confused about this. Fish should never be "well done". That just makes it dry and often tough. Typically, a white fleshed fish should be cooked just until it flakes, or in some cases just until it's opaque.

I don't understand the "swimming in a pool of butter", if that's really what it is.


I can't tell you exactly what they are doing different, but I liked it when it was "darker" without the butter or whatever it is it is now in. It tasted delicious to me before. Not so much, now. And I don't like sauces on my fish, or even my meat for that matter.
 
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