Frequently asked questions
Do you eat the skin on grouper?
Yes, crispy grouper fish skin can be delicious! For this recipe, however, you'll want to use skinless fillets. The skin of grouper in particular shrinks a great deal during cooking, which causes the fish to curl when left intact. Plus, grilling the fillets in foil packets, as we are here, steams the fish inside — nothing is meant to come out crispy.
How do you know when grouper is done?
Because the fish is cooked in closed foil packets here, there are no visual cues to suggest when the grouper is done. You'll know it's time to remove the packets from the grill when a thermometer inserted into a fillet registers 135°F. The fish should rest inside the foil for five minutes before being unwrapped and in that time will reach at least 140°F.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, mild grouper fillets pick up lightly smoky, savory flavor in scallion, lemon, and butter-stuffed packets on the grill. These packets leave the fish perfectly moist and flaky, and avoid potentially sticky grill grates. The built-in sauce cooks as the butter and lemon melt into the fish, which pairs perfectly with fluffy cooked rice or crusty baguettes for sopping.
