Premium Wild Grouper

A deep-water fish taken from the reef and frozen whole, straight after landing. Its skin carries the distinctive brown-black mottling of a fish that has grown slowly in moving water, and its scale is tight and glossy. Cut into it and the flesh falls into neat, garlic-clove flakes, dense with collagen and a springy bite that chefs like to call the chicken of the sea.

Why You Will Love It

• Whole fish, cleaned and frozen intact so the shape and juices stay locked in
• Naturally firm, springy flesh with a high collagen content
• Generous single fish of 800 g to 1.5 kg, enough for three to five at the table
• Suits everything from a plain steam to a slow clay-pot braise

Kitchen Notes

• Steam: score the thickest part, lay ginger and scallion on top, steam for ten to twelve minutes, then pour over hot seasoned oil
• Braise: sear the pieces golden, then simmer for twenty minutes in stock, soy and rock sugar
• Clay pot: line the pot with onion and ginger, add the fish and rice wine, and bake for fifteen minutes
• Rice porridge: slide thin slices into soft congee at the end and finish with pepper and ginger

Storage

Keep at minus eighteen or colder for up to nine months. Thaw in the fridge for eight to twelve hours, rinse lightly and cook in one go.