Grouper

Mérou

What it is

Every dusky grouper begins life as a female and only turns male at around fourteen years and eighty centimetres, so fishing out the largest individuals removes the males from an entire reef. France has held a moratorium on spearfishing it in the Mediterranean since 1993.

In the kitchen

Ask for the head and frame with it: grouper bone is so rich in gelatine that a two-hour stock sets to a firm jelly when cold. That jelly is the base of a braise needing neither cream nor flour.

Goes with

Tomato Olive oil Saffron Fennel Garlic Potato Thyme Bay leaf

Also used with

Duo jiao

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