In the latest visit to the Chef's Kitchen, Chef Bobby Feke prepared one of Sea Sea Riders most popular dinner menu items, Florida Grouper. The plate from the downtown Dunedin restaurant features pecan-crusted grouper and sweet potato mash drizzled with bourbon brown butter.

Florida Grouper

INGREDIENTS:

One 6-7 oz Red Grouper fillet
2 medium size Sweet Potato
.5oz Grain mustard
.5oz Honey
½ cup Panko
½ cup Candied pecans (crushed)
4 whole candied pecans
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
3oz Butter
.5oz Bourbon
3oz Brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice
1oz oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Boil sweet potatoes about 30-40 minutes until soft.
While boiling, combine panko, candied pecans, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper in Robot Coupe and blend for 30 seconds. Drain excess water from potatoes. Add 1/3 cup milk, 2oz butter, ¼ teaspoon pumpkin spice, and 2oz of brown sugar. Before mixing together, heat up a skillet with oil. Mix honey and grain mustard together and coat the top of the grouper. Place grouper top side down in candied pecan panko and place into skillet. Cook on high for 30-40 seconds, flip grouper over and place in oven for 5-7 minutes. While fish is cooking, draw one ounce of butter, add brown sugar, consistently stirring to not break the butter. Add bourbon and burn off alcohol while stirring and set aside.
Finish mixing sweet potato mash over low heat and scoop to center of plate. Take grouper out of the oven and place over the sweet potato mash. Drizzle the bourbon butter along the outer edge of the mash and on top of grouper as well.
Garnish with 4 candied pecans.

CANDIED PECANS:
2 ½ cups Water
1 ½ cups Sugar
½ cup Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 cups Pecans

Fold pecans into mix, cook and reduce mix to a syrup. Strain and lay out evenly on sheet tray. Bake 6-8 minutes until a dark brown color is formed.