Black Grouper Aguachile

Tomato Water, Pickled Onions, Chile Arbol Sauce, Compressed Cucumber, Finger Limes

Chef Andrew Zarzosa of The Betsy Hotel | Miami
Yield: 2 servings

Raw fish with clean flavors was definitely a theme during the making of the Miami Rising Stars Magazine, but the aguachile at The Betsy Hotel stood out for its balance and the texture of the cured local grouper. “Ceviche is so popular in Miami and sushi too, so I wanted to introduce them to something different for raw fish,” Executive Chef Andrew Zarzosa says. The local ingredients made a stunning presentation—and color palette.

Adapted by StarChefs | March 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Tomato Water:
One 100-gram heirloom tomatoes , roughly chopped
Kosher salt
Salt
100 milliliters lime juice

Pickled Onions:
25 grams julienned red onion
125 milliliters apple cider vinegar

Chile Arbol Sauce:
50 grams arbol chiles, deseeded
125 milliliters apple cider vinegar
Salt

Cured Grouper:
Two 100-gram sheets kombu
Junmai daiginjo sake
100 milliliters rice bran oil
100 grams black grouper, sliced thinly into 10 pieces

Compressed Cucumber:
1 Japanese cucumber, sliced with a mandoline
140 milliliters Junmai daiginjo sake
Zest of 1 lime

To Assemble and Serve:
1 radish
Finger limes
Salt
30 sprigs sprouting huacatay

METHOD:

For the Tomato Water:
Place kombu in a deep, nonreactive container. In a separate mixing bowl, season tomatoes with kosher salt. Transfer tomatoes to a cheesecloth-lined chinois and sit it on top of the deep container with kombu. Let sit 24 to 32 hours to collect tomato water. Season tomato water with salt and lime juice.

For the Pickled Onions:
In a nonreactive container, combine onions and vinegar. Let onions soak overnight.

For the Chile Arbol Sauce:
In a nonreactive container, combine chiles and vinegar. Let soak overnight. The next day, transfer chiles and vinegar to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil then continue to cook 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a Vitamix blender and blend until you reach the consistency of a hot sauce. Season with salt. 

For the Cured Grouper:
Lay out kombu sheets and brush with sake and oil. Lay the 10 slices of grouper onto one sheet. Place the other sheet of kombu on top so both sake-brushed sides are touching the fish. Wrap in plastic and place in the cooler to cure for about 1 hour.

For the Compressed Cucumber:
Place cucumber, sake, and lime zest into a vacuum bag and seal until air-tight.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place radishes in ice water and set aside. Arrange five slices of Cured Grouper per serving plate. Season with Chile Arbol Sauce, finger lime, and salt. Arrange Compressed Cucumbers, radishes, and Pickled Onions over the top of the fish. Place the huacatay around the radishes. Finish tableside with a pour of Tomato Water.

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