The Quay's Grouper Florentine

This is the dish that makes people think you trained in a French kitchen.

Flour-dusted grouper fillets get a quick sear in clarified butter, then wilted spinach, shallots, and just a hint of Pernod build a bed of flavor underneath.

The real showstopper is the cheese sauce: a silky béchamel loaded with Swiss and Parmesan that blankets the fish before a quick trip under the broiler turns everything bubbly and bronzed.

It looks like something you’d order at a waterfront restaurant, but it comes together in your own kitchen in about 30 minutes.

Pro Tips

• Use clarified butter for the sear. Regular butter burns at high heat. Clarified butter (ghee) gives you that golden crust without the smoke.
• Go easy on the Pernod. A quarter teaspoon is all you need. That anise note should whisper, not shout. It lifts the spinach and fish without overwhelming them.
• Make the cheese sauce smooth. Whisk the flour into melted butter before adding milk slowly. Patience here means no lumps and a velvety finish.
• Watch the broiler closely. The cheese goes from golden to burnt in seconds. Stay near the oven and pull the dish the moment it bubbles and browns.