Grouper a la Adela

 

One of the ingredients for this dish is Catalana Sauce, or Salsa Catalana. We've had it before, so knew we would like it. However, it does take some time to make, so plan ahead.

Grouper a la Adela

Season grouper fillets with lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip in beaten egg, then coat with seasoned breadcrumbs. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and lightly brown the fish on each side. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and cover with Catalana Sauce (see below), then top with a slice of Swiss cheese and sprinkle with Romano cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese melts (about 5-10 minutes) and serve at once.

We thought the leftover Catalana Sauce would make a great variation of Chicken Parmesan. We were right. We'll probably have Chicken Catalana again some day - top the chicken with Catalana Sauce, then Swiss or Mozarella and Parmesan or Romano cheeses before heating to melt the cheese. 

Catalana Sauce

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 onions, chopped
• 4 green peppers, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 ounce) tomato sauce
• 1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups water

Heat the oil in a large pot (we use our 14" Dutch oven) and sauter the onions and green peppers for 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour. Makes about 3 quarts of sauce.

The first time we made this sauce, it became part of Filet Steak Milanesa, or Filete a la Milanesa. 

This was basically the same as the fish recipe above. Season steak (the original recipe calls for 6 ounce filet mignon) with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs. Pan fry to brown each side, then transfer to an ovenproof plate. Top with Catalana Sauce and bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg and parsley.