Key West Margarita Grouper

Key West Margarita Grouper

Yields 4 servings

• 4  6-ounce grouper fillets
• 1/3 cup tequila
• 1/3 cup orange liqueur
• 3/4 cup fresh Key lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 pinch white sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Ground black pepper to taste

Place fillets in a shallow baking dish. In a bowl, stir together the tequila, orange liqueur, Key lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and olive oil. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade and set aside. Pour remaining marinade over fillets; cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour turning the fillets once. For salsa, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and sugar in a medium bowl; season to taste with salt and set aside. Preheat the grill on medium-high heat. Remove fillets from marinade, brush tops with oil and season with black pepper. Grill fillets for 4 to 5 minutes per side until center is opaque and meat flakes easily with a fork. Transfer fillets to serving plates. In a small saucepan, heat reserved marinade to a simmer; remove from heat and set aside. Drizzle warm marinade over the fillets and serve with salsa.

The official Chef of Florida, Justin Timineri, shares some of his recipes with us. A proponent of eating healthy, locally-grown and harvested produce and seafood, Timineri’s recipes imbue that Fresh From Florida flavor. For more on chef Justin, click here.

Recipe and image courtesy of Chef Justin Timineri and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For more recipes coming from Timineri’s kitchen, click here.