Patrick Aftanas, Executive Chef of Pinetop Country Club in Arizona, says his banana-macadamia-nut-crusted Florida grouper with yellow coconut curry cream sauce is a culmination of his experience as a chef.
“As far back as when I was in culinary school in the mid ’90s in Charleston, S.C., working with Swiss and French Chef/owners at Market East Bistro on Market Street—we had PEI mussels on the menu with a variation of this yellow curry cream sauce, which I thought was really nice and coated the mussels beautifully.”
The banana-macadamia-nut crust idea stemmed from his time at Cherokee Town & Country Club in Atlanta after culinary school.
“I don’t recall if it was for a grouper, though; it could’ve been mahi-mahi, and I’m not sure if we did it with this sauce,” Afranas notes. “I believe we came up with at least a rendition of this dish and ran it as a special at LaGrange Country Club on the outskirts of Chicago some 15 years ago.”
Ultimately, he and his team put it on the menu this past summer at Pinetop Country Club, with great success, and even ran it for a weekly special when he did a task force out in Maui at The King Kamehameha Golf Club in October, though they used Opakapaka in lieu of Florida grouper.
Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): How would you describe the flavors and presentation?
Patrick Aftanas (PA): The flavors are bold yet light, a touch of sweetness from the apple and banana, a bit of heat from the curry, enriched by the coconut milk. Texture from the Macadamia nuts lending into the flakiness of the grouper while the accompaniments mingle nicely with the steamed basmati rice and Bok choy.
C+RC: What makes this a successful dish?
PA: It was received well by the members and their guests. It’s a little exotic, yet still comforting and the flavors really pair well together. The kitchen staff’s excitement of execute it and the servers who proudly stand behind the presentation, flavors and the response they get from the members and their guests.
C+RC: What about it makes you most proud?
PA: The response of the feedback we get from the members and their guests. Having them catch me out of the kitchen a day or week later telling me how good it was and or how their guest really enjoyed it. Also seeing the plates coming back clean is always a great sign.
C+RC: What was member response like?
PA: It went over great, especially landlocked up in the White Mountains of Arizona—flying in fresh grouper weekly, thanks to Triar Seafood, out of Hollywood, Florida. Although, some people were a bit hesitant at first, stating they don’t like banana or they don’t like curry. [We gained] gain their trust by explaining to them the banana is subtle; you just get a little sweetness from it, and it’s the binder to hold the nuts on the fish. Also, the curry isn’t overpowering. It’s nice, light, flavorful, and it all just plays well together. We received a response of ‘I don’t like bananas, but I didn’t get an overpowering flavor from them, and really enjoyed this dish.’
Banana-Macadamia Nut Crusted Florida Grouper with Yellow Coconut Curry Cream Sauce
