Only in Florida can you buy wonderfully fresh fish and seafood that can be somewhat unusual sometimes. I just bought some grouper cheeks from a wonderfully local fish store in Cortez, Florida.
The fishmonger suggested we try some grouper cheeks because they don’t have many of them and they are worth the try. My first question was “what are grouper cheeks?” Do groupers have cheeks? The quick answer is apparently yes, they do.
Since Mike is an adventurous eater, I figured why not. They suggested we cook them just like scallops, on a hot pan, quickly and then add butter. I also added lemon.
The long and short of it is the grouper cheeks are delicious and delicate. They cook up in a couple of minutes so everything that is going to be served with them needs to be done in advance.
I served them with rice and roasted broccolini. It was a simple, light, and delicious dinner.
If they can be found, give them a try. The recipe is simple:
- Heat a skillet so it is very hot.
- Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and make sure it is very hot.
- Add the grouper cheeks, and watch them because they need to be turned over in about a minute and cooked for another minute.
- Add butter and baste for another minute or so, add some fresh lemon juice and then plate it.
It is a treat worth finding.