Grouper Fish Stew with Stuffed Charred Peppers
Grouper Fish Stew with Stuffed Charred Peppers
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Peppers
- 8 to 10 red shishito peppers
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
For the Pepper Filling Base
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup water, as needed
For the Grouper and Sauce
- 4 pounds grouper fish, sliced into steaks including the head
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, for seasoning fish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed for searing fish head
- 12 ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, for sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, for sauce
Instructions
- 1
Char the red shishito peppers directly over an open flame (gas burner or grill) until their skins are completely blackened. Transfer them to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them steam for 10 minutes. Once cooled, peel off the blackened skins. Halve the peppers lengthwise. Dice the top one-third of the peppers into small cubes and set aside. Reserve the bottom two-thirds for stuffing.
⏱️ 20 min
- 2
In a cast iron pot or wide sauté pan, heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the 3 chopped ripe tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, hot paprika, ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
Add the 2 cups of cooked chickpeas and the diced charred pepper cubes to the pot. Mix well. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add 1/4 cup of water as needed. This is your pepper filling base.
⏱️ 30 min
- 4
While the filling base simmers, generously season the entire grouper fish (including the head and steaks) with 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt. In a separate wide sauté pan or the same cast iron pot (if large enough), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the grouper fish head until lightly golden on all sides.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Add the 12 peeled and cut ripe tomatoes to the pan with the seared fish head. Cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the tomatoes to soften.
⏱️ 8 min
- 6
Carefully remove the grouper fish head from the pan and set it aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, meticulously extract all the tender meat from the head (this is considered the most flavorful part of the fish) and set it aside.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Return to the pepper filling base (from Step 3). Lightly mash some of the chickpeas in the pot. Stir in the extracted grouper head meat and the chopped fresh cilantro. Taste the filling and adjust seasoning with additional fine sea salt or cumin if desired. The filling is now ready.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
To the pan where the tomatoes and fish head were cooked (from Step 5), add 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir well and cook for about 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken into a beautiful, rich consistency.
⏱️ 15 min
- 9
Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the tomato sauce in the pan until it is completely smooth. Return the smooth sauce to the cast iron pot or wide sauté pan if you transferred it.
⏱️ 5 min
- 10
Using a spoon, carefully fill the reserved bottom two-thirds of the charred shishito peppers with the prepared chickpea and fish filling. Arrange the stuffed peppers and the grouper fish steaks in the pot with the smooth tomato sauce.
⏱️ 10 min
- 11
Cover the pot and simmer for exactly 7 minutes. This precise cooking time ensures the grouper is perfectly cooked and tender.
⏱️ 7 min
- 12
Serve the Grouper Fish Stew with Stuffed Charred Peppers hot, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired, for a festive and impressive meal. Enjoy!
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Grouper Fish Stew with Stuffed Charred Peppers
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Peppers
- 8 to 10 red shishito peppers
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
For the Pepper Filling Base
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 to 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup water, as needed
For the Grouper and Sauce
- 4 pounds grouper fish, sliced into steaks including the head
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, for seasoning fish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed for searing fish head
- 12 ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, for sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, for sauce
Instructions
- 1
Char the red shishito peppers directly over an open flame (gas burner or grill) until their skins are completely blackened. Transfer them to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them steam for 10 minutes. Once cooled, peel off the blackened skins. Halve the peppers lengthwise. Dice the top one-third of the peppers into small cubes and set aside. Reserve the bottom two-thirds for stuffing.
⏱️ 20 min - 2
In a cast iron pot or wide sauté pan, heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the 3 chopped ripe tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, hot paprika, ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
Add the 2 cups of cooked chickpeas and the diced charred pepper cubes to the pot. Mix well. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add 1/4 cup of water as needed. This is your pepper filling base.
⏱️ 30 min - 4
While the filling base simmers, generously season the entire grouper fish (including the head and steaks) with 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt. In a separate wide sauté pan or the same cast iron pot (if large enough), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the grouper fish head until lightly golden on all sides.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Add the 12 peeled and cut ripe tomatoes to the pan with the seared fish head. Cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the tomatoes to soften.
⏱️ 8 min - 6
Carefully remove the grouper fish head from the pan and set it aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, meticulously extract all the tender meat from the head (this is considered the most flavorful part of the fish) and set it aside.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Return to the pepper filling base (from Step 3). Lightly mash some of the chickpeas in the pot. Stir in the extracted grouper head meat and the chopped fresh cilantro. Taste the filling and adjust seasoning with additional fine sea salt or cumin if desired. The filling is now ready.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
To the pan where the tomatoes and fish head were cooked (from Step 5), add 1 tablespoon of sweet paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir well and cook for about 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken into a beautiful, rich consistency.
⏱️ 15 min - 9
Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the tomato sauce in the pan until it is completely smooth. Return the smooth sauce to the cast iron pot or wide sauté pan if you transferred it.
⏱️ 5 min - 10
Using a spoon, carefully fill the reserved bottom two-thirds of the charred shishito peppers with the prepared chickpea and fish filling. Arrange the stuffed peppers and the grouper fish steaks in the pot with the smooth tomato sauce.
⏱️ 10 min - 11
Cover the pot and simmer for exactly 7 minutes. This precise cooking time ensures the grouper is perfectly cooked and tender.
⏱️ 7 min - 12
Serve the Grouper Fish Stew with Stuffed Charred Peppers hot, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired, for a festive and impressive meal. Enjoy!