Florida Grouper with Cucumber Slaw and Key Lime Butter Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup julienned cucumber
• 1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned carrot
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 6 ounces white wine
• 2 shallots
• minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups heavy cream
• Zest and juice of 2 Key limes
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter
• cubed
• Four 7-ounce fresh skinless grouper filets
• 2 ounces blended oil (half olive oil
• half vegetable oil)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. For the slaw: Toss together the cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, rice vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. For the key lime butter sauce: Bring the wine, shallots and bay leaves to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
4. Once boiling, add the heavy cream and lime zest and juice.
5. Bring back to a boil and cook until reduced by half.
6. Mix the cornstarch and water together and slowly whisk into the reduced cream.
7. Once the mixture thickens turn the heat to low and add the butter a little at a time, whisking each time until fully incorporated.
8. Run through a fine strainer and keep warm until serving.
9. For the grouper: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to smoke.
10. Season the grouper filets with salt and pepper, put in the skillet top-side down and cook until the flesh begins to crisp, about 2 minutes.
11. Do not flip; transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the grouper flakes easily, 5 to 6 minutes.
12. To serve, spoon some Key Lime Butter Sauce on each of 4 plates and top with a grouper filet browned-side up.
13. Top each filet with some Cucumber Slaw and serve.