Billy Teens fished the waters of the Gulf for over 49 years. After living and working out of Destin all those years, he has come to Ellaville to share his fishing — and cooking — experience, and both are a hit! He opened Schley Seafood Company on South Broad Street in February of this year, and business has been picking up ever since. Each Tuesday, Teens travels to Destin to get only fresh fish and shrimp, which he brings back to sell and cook Wednesdays-Saturdays.
When I visited Schley Seafood Company, I was looking for fresh fish to grill. I came away with fish, shrimp, scallops, and a great recipe! Teens keeps printed recipes available for customers, which I picked up, but when I asked how he cooked grouper, I struck gold! I bought a large (2 lbs.) piece of grouper I had planned to grill, but Teens had a better idea:
Ingredients: grouper, butter, Cavender’s Greek Seasoning, oregano, parsley, fresh tomato, fresh grated parmesan cheese
Directions: Place fish on foil on a baking sheet. Baste fish with melted butter on both sides. Sprinkle with Cavender’s, oregano, and parsley. Top with thick tomato slices, then parmesan cheese. Slide foil onto a preheated 350-degree F. grill, and bake 10-25 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Check for fish to turn white and be flaky, but not dry.
I had large piece of fish that took about 25 minutes to get done (probably because I kept peeking at it!). It was delicious! I will cook it again this week, and probably every week until the people I feed complain. They won’t. I served mine with roasted potato wedges and grilled okra. For the potatoes, I cut them into bite-sized wedges, tossed them in olive oil, then covered with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then baked at 400 for about 40 minutes. For the okra, I tossed whole okra pieces in olive oil and sea salt, then fastened them to two skewers (for easier flipping). I grilled them next to the fish for the last five minutes of grilling.
Some variations to this include the possibility of cooking in an oven. That should work fine; the grill just allows for a kitchen free of a fish-smell for a couple of days. Some cooks may be opposed to using foil, which I typically am. I just wanted to follow the recipe this first time. I thought of using a cast iron skillet on the grill in the future. Other variations include using other types of fish or other sides. This time of the year is perfect for experimenting with fresh vegetables on the grill — corn, okra, eggplant, squash, peppers, onions. Whatever fish and/or sides you choose, know that this recipe for grouper is easy, delicious, and healthy!

Carey Wooten is the daughter of Joni Woolf, and is an accomplished cook in her own right.