Capt. Charlie's 7 Minute Gourmet
Grouperghetti Sauce
Last night I was ready for the old stand-by - fried grouper. The
fishing has been great, the grouper plentiful, and I have been
trying to eat my favorite meal three times a day. When suddenly I
noticed that there was no more peanut oil in the cupboard! My
heart sank, my stomach growled, I didn't feel like going to the
grocery store, and the week had simply been too long. So what to
do? I wanted fish, and I wanted it quick and easy. The grill was
even too much trouble. Oh no, the only thing in the fridge
was.....leftover spaghetti sauce from last week. It was good
sauce, with lots of ground chuck, sausage, onions, and mushrooms,
but there was no pasta. Besides, I didn't really feel like
waiting for water to boil.
OK, this is it - crunch time..........(Read this next part real
fast so you can get a feel for my state of mind) Skillet on the
stove, a little olive oil, a grouper fillet, salt, pepper, and
lemon, sauté for three or four minutes, pour left-over spaghetti
sauce around it in the pan, cover and simmer for three more
minutes until the fillet flakes with a fork. Use the same fork
that you checked it with and eat it right out of the skillet. No
dishes to wash (leave the pan soaking in the sink until
tomorrow). It was absolutely delicious, filling, quick, and easy.
Maybe in the future I will experiment with other left-over fish
surprises. Just think of it - macaroni and cheese with fresh
grunt. Chicken pot pie over sea bass fillet, black beans and rice
with a topping of broiled sheepshead, meatloaf with snapper
puree. Well maybe the snapper puree is carrying it a little too
far, but you get my drift. Make it easy and quick, and as long as
there is fresh caught fish in it, it will have to be good.
Good fishing, tight lines and happy eating,
Capt. Charlie