TAMPA, Fla. — It’s a dish that screams Tampa.
A fresh catch like black grouper — along with Peruvian flavors.
“Chaufa is the Latin version of fried rice,” explained Complex Chef James King of Restaurant 211.
Peru has its own stir fry.
“This is influenced by the Latin culture that is on my kitchen and the Tampa area,” King explained.
Local Market Fish, Tampa street style fried rice, broccolini and gremolata
Ingredients for the fish
- 1 black grouper filet
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ounce olive oil
- 1 ounce extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Florida citrus and spice (juice of orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, tajin hot sauce)
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper.
- Then ladle the oil into the pan, and gently place the fish in the hot oil to sear well for one minute or until golden and crisp.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and let the fish continue to cook on the seared side and cool slightly.
- When slightly cooled, fold in the extra virgin olive oil, and turn over the fish onto the uncooked side.
- Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking, about 5-7 minutes, or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees so that it can carry over perfectly to 145 degrees as it rests.
- When the fish is finished cooking, remove it from the pan onto a plate, and fold the garlic and butter into the pan.
- Swirl well until the butter melts into a sauce.
- Add the citrus, spice and fresh herbs, and set to the side with the fish while you prepare the rice.
Ingredients for the rice
- ½ cup jasmine rice, cooked
- 2 ounces vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 3 shrimp, peeled and deveined (seasoned with piri piri, lemon, lime, orange juice, adobo)
- 1 ounce Spanish chorizo, casing removed and crumbled
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- Soy sauce to taste
- 1 clove garlic and 1 equal part ginger, minced well together
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Directions
- Heat a wok over high heat.
- Add 1 ounce of the vegetable oil to the pan.
- Add the chorizo, and fry until just brown and crisp.
- Add the shrimp, and cook with the chorizo until the shrimp is pink on both sides.
- Then push the proteins to the top of the wok and off the direct heat.
- Add the egg to the pan, and scramble in the pan until almost cooked.
- Push the egg up with the chorizo and shrimp.
- Then add the reserved oil, and quickly fry the garlic ginger, being careful not to burn them.
- Add the rice to the garlic and ginger mixture, and fry well over direct heat.
- Season the rice with the soy and sugar, and toss all the ingredients together.
- Add the scallions, and toss well.
- Turn off the heat, and finish with the sesame oil, tossing well to incorporate the flavors.
The broccolini
- 2 stalks broccolini, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Salt
Directions
- Toss the broccolini with the oil and salt, and set to the side while you heat a pan over high heat.
- Add the broccolini to the pan, and char well on both sides until crispy.
- Remove from the pan, and add the vegetables with the fish pan sauce.
To Plate
- Place the rice in the center of a dinner plate, preferably using a ring mold, or pack into a cup to create a round shape that holds together to serve as a platform.
- Top the rice with the vegetables from the sauce, and then top the vegetables with the fish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the fish.
- Garnish with a freshly prepared salsa. My recipe follows. Buen provecho!
Chef Salsa Fresca
- 2 pieces of grapefruit and orange segments, diced
- 1 tablespoon of red onion, finely diced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 ounce fennel, shaved thinly into crescent moon shapes
- 1 teaspoon fennel fronds, minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro
- Pinch of salt
Directions
Mix all of the above, and serve over the fish or on the side, wrapping around half of the rice like a half-moon to make a different, yet still exciting, colorful presentation.