Sauté onion, ginger and lemongrass	Sauté fish

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Florida Black Grouper With Lemongrass Tomato Broth

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 12, 2000

Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

For lemon-grass tomato broth:

• 1/2 medium white onion, diced

• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 3-inch pieces and smashed (see note)

• 1 Tbsp peanut oil

• 5 Roma tomatoes, diced

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1 Tbsp fresh Thai basil leaves or domestic basil, cut into thin strips

• Salt

• Ground black pepper

For spinach:

• 1 tsp fresh minced garlic

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• 1 Tbsp peanut oil

For fish:

• 4 (5-oz) grouper fillets, skinned (can substitute other mild fish, such as mahi mahi, swordfish or snapper)

• Salt

• Ground black pepper

• 2 Tbsp peanut oil

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Preparation

To prepare broth: Sauté onion, ginger and lemongrass in peanut oil over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil; simmer 10 minutes. Discard lemongrass; add basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep hot.

To prepare spinach: Just before serving, sauté garlic and spinach in oil about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Set aside.

To prepare fish: Season fish to taste with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan until very hot. Add peanut oil. Add fish; sauté until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn to other side and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve: Divide sautéed j spinach among 4 dinner plates. Top with fish. Spoon broth around fish. If desired, garnish with lemongrass twigs.

Note: When you cook lemongrass this way, it separates into long strands that may be difficult to remove. You also can wrap the lemongrass in cheesecloth and add it with the chicken stock, although the flavor will be diminished a bit.