Puerto Rican FoodGrouper Fillet with Warm Sour Orange and Sweet Pepper Escabeche and Taro-Malanga Fritters
An original Puerto Rican recipe featuring seared grouper fillets topped with a warm escabeche of sour orange, onion, and sweet peppers, served over crispy taro and malanga fritters. It delivers classic island flavor, balanced acidity, and comforting texture.
Ingredients
- 680 g grouper fillets (4 filetes skinless, of tamaño similar)
- 120 ml sour orange juice (freshly squeezed or embotellada)
- 150 g white onion (en plumas finas)
- 60 g sweet peppers (without semillas and in strips finas)
- 12 g garlic (chopped fino)
- 2 unit bay leaves (whole)
- 1 g dried oregano
- 2 g black pepper (divided)
- 8 g salt (divided)
- 60 ml olive oil (divided)
- 30 ml white vinegar
- 300 g malanga root (pelada and grated gruesa)
- 300 g taro root (pelado and grated grueso)
- 1 unit egg (beaten)
- 30 g rice flour
- 10 g fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 45 ml vegetable oil (for frying en pan)
- 14 g butter
Nutrition facts
per serving
Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.
Allergens
Instructions
- 1
1. Season the grouper fillets with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and the dried oregano. Let them rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- 2
2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the white onion, sweet peppers, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion softens slightly.
- 3
3. Add the sour orange juice and white vinegar to the escabeche skillet. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes so the flavors meld. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
- 4
4. In a large bowl, combine the grated malanga, grated taro, beaten egg, rice flour, fresh cilantro, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well until a rustic batter forms.
- 5
5. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Shape the malanga and taro mixture into 8 fritters, pressing them gently with your hands.
- 6
6. Fry the fritters for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm. If you prefer to finish them in the oven, place them in for 5 minutes at 375°F / 190°C after browning.
- 7
7. Pat the grouper fillets lightly dry with paper towels. In another large skillet, heat the butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
- 8
8. Cook the grouper fillets for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes on the second side, until golden and the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145°F / 63°C.
- 9
9. Return the warm escabeche to the heat for 1 minute if needed. Remove the bay leaves.
- 10
10. To serve, place 2 taro-malanga fritters on each plate, top with a grouper fillet, and spoon over the warm sour orange escabeche with onion, sweet peppers, and garlic. Serve immediately.
Chef tips
Grate the malanga and taro right before mixing to prevent oxidation. If the fritter mixture releases too much moisture, add 1 extra tablespoon of rice flour. The escabeche should taste bright and lightly tangy, not overly vinegary.
Substitutions
You can substitute the grouper with red snapper, mahi-mahi, or fresh cod. If sour orange is unavailable, use half orange juice and half lime juice. Rice flour can be replaced with cornstarch for an equally gluten-free version.
What I used to make it
Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.
Illustrative imageNinja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
Illustrative imageCosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
Illustrative imageTempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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