GROUPER OR OTHER FISH STEAMED IN ITS OWN JUICE, WITH CILANTRO SAUCE

Grouper or Other Fish Steamed in Its Own Juice, with Cilantro Sauce image

This is an interesting technique: the fish is oven steamed, with just a tiny bit of liquid, thus retaining all of its own juices. Traditionally the packages would be made with banana or other large leaves, and they would be buried in hot ashes. Foil is much more convenient, if not quite as interesting or flavorful. If you make this with fillets, the cooking time will be under 10 minutes. Serve this with Peasant-Style Potatoes (page 477) and a lightly dressed vegetable.

Yield makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

One 3-pound or larger grouper, red snapper, black sea bass, or other firm white fish, gilled, gutted, and scaled, head may be on or off
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, stems reserved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 small tomato, cored and chopped

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Tear off 2 pieces of aluminum foil, each large enough to wrap the fish, then put one on top of the other. Put the fish on the foil, then in a large baking dish. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and half the lime juice in the cavity, then stuff the cavity with the cilantro stems. Sprinkle all the remaining ingredients over the fish and fold the foil over to seal in the fish.
Bake until the fish flakes when probed with a fork, 15 minutes or more; don't overcook. (Unfortunately, there is no way to check the fish without unwrapping, so don't check for at least 15 minutes; re-wrap if necessary.)
Carefully unseal the foil (watch out for hot steam) and transfer the fish toppings and any accumulated juices to a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture forms a creamy sauce, adding some lime juice or olive oil if needed. Transfer the fish to your serving dish and top with the cilantro sauce. Serve immediately.
In step 3, omit the blending of the sauce; serve the fish with the toppings and accumulated juices spooned over and around the fish.
This procedure will work with any seasonings: Try wrapping fish with salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice, and butter (about 4 tablespoons, cut into bits). Use about half as much herb, about 1/4 cup; fresh parsley, dill, or chervil are best in this.
Wrap the fish with salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 trimmed and sliced fennel bulb, and about 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, treated as the cilantro in the original recipe or the first variation.