Skip to Content
Recipes

How to Make Grouper Picatta

Our contributor from South Carolina shares her recipe for grouper, a versatile and delicious fish from the Atlantic.

10:00 AM EDT on April 22, 2024

Grouper Picatta.

Grouper Picatta.

Living in South Carolina, I have access to the freshest seafood. The warm and deep Atlantic waters are abundant with a variety of delicious fish. There is nothing better than asking the local fishmonger what just came in from the boats. 

I love fresh fish, and grouper is my absolute favorite. It’s light yet firm and doesn’t have a strong taste, which makes it incredibly versatile.

Some popular ways to prepare grouper include: grilled, sauteed, crusted in pecans (so Southern!), blackened, smoked, and fried (of course!).

Grouper also compliments other flavors, so it can be served over pasta or rice, in tacos or chowders, with roasted vegetables or potatoes.

I love it served Picatta-style as the lemon and white wine sauce, enhanced by briny capers and the sweetness of sauteed shallots (with a little zest of Dijon), really optimizes the flavor and compliments the texture of this delicious fish.

Note: Us Southerners gobble up most of the grouper available, so be sure to keep an eye out for the quantity we allow to be shipped from our shores. If you see it at your market, do not pause! Buy all you can as it can be frozen. As an alternative, you can also use trigger, tile, snapper, cod, black sea bass, or really any mild white fish in this recipe, though it does work best, as does every preparation, with grouper.

Grouper Picatta

Grouper Picatta

Recipe by Low Country Bella
0.0 from 0 votes
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 5 oz. 2 grouper fillets

  • 1/3 cup 1/3 chicken broth

  • 1 tsp. 1 butter

  • 2 tbsp. 2 capers

  • 1 tsp. 1 Dijon mustard

  • juice from 1/2 lemon

  • 2 tbsp. 2 olive oil

  • 1 tbsp. 1 minced shallot

Directions

  • Dry fish fillets with a paper towel.
  • Heat olive oil in a wide pan.
  • Cook the fish fillets over medium heat until the fish has turned opaque, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Transfer fish to a plate.  
  • Add shallots, capers, lemon juice, mustard, and butter to the pan.
  • Cook for 60 seconds, whisking constantly.
  • Whisk in chicken broth and stir until the sauce is smooth and has reduced slightly, approximately 2-3 minutes (add more broth if it gets too thick).  
  • Return fish to pan and coat fish with sauce while also warming it up. 
  • Plate fish and pour additional sauce from the pan over the fish.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @appetitomagazine on Instagram and hashtag it with #italianfoodanddrink

Like this recipe?

Follow @Appetitomagazine on Pinterest

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

This Week in Italian Food News: New Restaurant Openings & More (July 31)

Big cities, bold ideas, and one unforgettable dinner are leading this week's Italian food headlines.

July 31, 2026

The 15-Minute Basil Pasta Sauce I Make All Summer Long 

A garden overflowing with herbs is all the inspiration this timeless Italian pasta dish needs.

July 31, 2026

Pasta School with Lowcountry Bella: The Heart of Fresh Pasta

The journey to mastering fresh pasta starts with a deceptively simple dough that has shaped Italian cooking for centuries.

July 31, 2026

Erica D’Arcangelo on the Family History That Inspired A Story About Pizza

Inspired by generations of family history, the author explains why some stories deserve to be passed on.

Italian Pistachio Pesto Recipe Inspired by Lake Garda

A simple homemade pesto with pistachios, fresh basil, and lemon for a rich twist on the Italian classic.

July 30, 2026

Positive Influencer: Chef Stefani Poci

The Italian-Canadian creator shares how family traditions shaped her love of cooking.

July 30, 2026