Grouper all'isolana

17/11/2023

The Isolana-style grouper is a delicious dish, typical of island cuisine, especially from Italian islands such as Sardinia, where the flavors of the sea blend harmoniously with those of the land. Here’s how to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

4 grouper steaks of about 200g each
6 ripe tomatoes
2 medium potatoes
1 white onion
2 cloves of garlic
12 pitted black olives
2 tablespoons of salted capers
Parsley to taste
4 basil leaves
100 ml of dry white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Start by pre-heating the oven to 180 °C.
Peel and slice the potatoes into half-centimeter thick rounds and sauté them in a pan with a little oil until they are golden. Season lightly with salt.
Slice the onion and chop the garlic, then gently fry them in a large pan with a little oil.
Add the olives and capers (which you will have previously desalinated and rinsed) to the onion and garlic sauté, cooking for a couple of minutes.
Cut the tomatoes into pieces and add them to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, until a coarse sauce begins to form. Adjust salt and pepper.
Align the potatoes in a baking dish creating a bed for the grouper steaks. Place the fish steaks on top of the potatoes and season lightly with salt.
Pour the sauté of onion, garlic, olives, capers, and tomato over the grouper steaks.
Deglaze everything with the white wine and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Bake and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the grouper is cooked but still juicy.
Once cooked, sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with basil leaves.

Serve the Isolana-style grouper hot, perhaps accompanied by a glass of Vermentino from Sardinia or another white wine that pairs well with the flavors of the sea.

Curiosity

The grouper is highly appreciated in Mediterranean cuisine for its firm and tasty flesh. In island cuisine, in particular, grouper is often prepared with simple but flavorful ingredients that enhance the taste of the sea without overwhelming it.