Pan Seared Grouper with Butternut Squash Purée and a Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss butternut squash with 1 tsp of olive oil and salt & pepper. Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Wipe out glass bowl with a paper towel. Cook for 20 minutes until squash pierces easily with a fork. Move cooked squash back to glass bowl, add 1 tbs of butter, and set aside.
3. Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice fish into 2 even-sized filets. Season each side with salt & pepper and dredge in cornstarch, coating each side of fish completely.
4. Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in large skillet and add spinach under medium heat. If there isn’t enough room for all 4 cups, add them gradually as the leaves start to wilt.  Once all of the leaves are wilted, add garlic and sautée until lightly fragrant.
5. While the spinach is cooking, add the maple syrup, salt & pepper, and milk to the bowl of cooked butternut squash. Blend with a handheld mixer until pureed.  Cover with tinfoil to keep warm.
6. Remove spinach and garlic from heat and place in a serving bowl. Cover with tinfoil to keep warm.
7. Heat 1/2 cup of high-heat oil over medium to medium-high heat. When oil is lightly crackling (you can add a tiny amount of cornstarch to the pan to see if it’s ready) add fish and cook for 5-7 minutes until lightly brown. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove fish from pan and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes. Remove immediately.
8. While the fish is cooking, add remaining butter to a small sauce pan and cook lightly on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until it turns lightly brown. At the 5-minute point, add the chopped sage and stir frequently. Remove from heat.
9. To plate, first add butternut squash puree, then top with sautéed spinach and add the fish. Drizzle a light amount of the brown butter sage sauce and serve immediately.