Grouper With Spaghetti Limone & Collard Greens

As you guys know last year I discovered Wabash Seafood Company and it was where I was buying all of my seafood. I adore their selection and trust that they do everything they can to source sustainable fish, plus they’re so dang nice!

Unfortunately though, in pregnancy fish just hasn’t been high on my list of foods to eat and foods to cook. But I’m turning a corner and I’m finally ready to bring it back.

So I went in the other day and they had just gotten a ton of fresh fish in, including my FAVORITE grouper. I snagged myself two 8oz filets and had they remove the skin (no thank you smelly fish in the house). My plan was to create a swiss chard pesto pasta but it ended up changing at the last minute when I couldn’t kick the memory of one of my favorite meals at Owens Fish Camp in Sarasota Florida. That meal consisted of blacked grouper, vinegary collard greens, and a simple buttery/garlicy angel hair pasta.

For this dish, I just simply pan seared the grouper with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then for the collards, I honestly just made it up but it totally worked! I have made these collards a few times from the Feed The Resistance Cookbook so I had an idea and just winged it and it worked! Then since I wanted a lemony pasta and have mastered Frank’s spaghetti limon I went with that. Might sound like a funny combo but trust me it was delish.

The fish was flaky and very light in flavor, the greens were salty & vinegary, and the pasta was lemony and silky with that butter. I could eat this meal once a week.

What I Used:

• 2 grouper filets (one per person)
• 2 servings dried spaghetti (about quarter size around)
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 bunch chopped collard greens
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• salt/pepper/garlic powder

How To:

1. Start by boiling your pasta water & pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees
2. To a large sauté pan or dutch oven sauté the collard greens & garlic in oil until lightly wilted and fragrant. Add a pinch of salt & pepper and toss a bit more.
3. Add the chicken stock & apple cider vinegar, give it a stir, then cover and turn to a simmer for the next 15-20 minutes.
4. At this point season the fish with salt/pep/garlic powder, roughly 1/2 tsp each for each filet, evenly on both sides.
5. Pan sear over high heat about 3-5 minutes on each side until golden, then transfer to a baking dish then transfer to an oven safe baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
6. While in the oven cook your pasta (9-10 minutes) depending on the pasta, when its ready save 1 ladle full of the starchy water before draining (about 1/2 cup)
7. Once the pasta is strained add it back to the pot, add in the butter, squeeze the lemon juice in the pot and add the lemon peel too. Then add in the warm starchy water (a little at a time) stir vigorously with a flat wooden spoon until melted.