Dinner is served: Lobster-stuffed baked pompano fillets with orange ginger sauce.
May 07, 2025
By Maggie Rossaine
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My hunting buddy, Earl, shared part of his pompano catch with me recently, best described as being slightly sweet and very tender. Earl recommended cooking them whole on a grill, however, I wanted to try something a little different. Since lobster also has a slightly sweet flavor, I find it pairs well with fish enhanced by goat cheese. If lobster is not available, you can substitute cooked gulf shrimp or blue crab. Pompano can be caught from beaches where they feed on sand fleas. They also also inhabit bays, inlets, passes and lagoons. There is no season in Florida, but there is a minimum size limit of 11 inches to the fork of the tail and a daily bag limit of six per harvester per day.
Closeup of lobster-stuffed baked pompano fillets with orange ginger sauce. Oven Baked Pompano Fillets Stuffed with Lobster Meat Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil ¼ cup chopped celery ¼ cup chopped red sweet pepper Pinch of black pepper and sea salt 1 cup chopped cooked lobster ¼ cup finely chopped green onion ¼ cup soft goat cheese 2 pompano fillets (skin on or off) Sprinkle of paprika (optional) 1 tsp. orange zest for garnish Directions:
Sauté celery, sweet peppers, salt and black pepper in olive oil for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add green onion and lobster. Add goat cheese, mixing well to combine all ingredients. Place half of stuffing on each fillet then roll the fillets using toothpicks to secure. I used skin on, but the skin makes it stiff to roll. My solution was to remove the tail half of the skin. Sprinkle a little paprika on rolls (optional). Place the rolls in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Test by piercing fish with a sharp knife which should slide in easily. To serve, place the sauce on a plate with the fish on top and sprinkle with orange zest. Orange Ginger Sauce Ingredients:
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1 tsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot 1 Tbsp. ginger puree Pinch of sea salt 2 cups orange juice (store bought or fresh squeezed) 1 Tbsp. honey 1 tsp. marmalade (optional) 1 tsp. orange zest 1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp. orange juice Ingredients to make lobster-stuffed baked pompano fillets with orange ginger sauce. Directions:
In a pan on medium heat add olive oil, shallot, ginger and salt. Sauté, stirring until shallot is soft. Add orange juice. Cook, stirring occasionally until the juice is reduced by about half and starts to thicken. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens. You may need to add a little more cornstarch depending on the orange juice used, the sauce should be able to coat the back of a spoon. Keep warm until fish is ready to serve. Orange Ginger Sauce Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup finely chopped leeks 1 clove garlic pressed (optional) 1 tsp. paprika A pinch of hot red pepper flakes 2 Tbsp. soy sauce (reduced sodium) ½ cup chicken stock (reduced sodium) 2-3 cups chopped cooked turkey meat 1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms ½ cup frozen green peas thawed and drained ½ cup cherry tomatoes quartered 2 Tbsp. corn starch Sea salt to taste One package of egg roll wrappers (in the produce section) Olive or canola oil for cooking rolls Directions:
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Over medium heat, sauté the first five ingredients until leeks are soft and cooked through. Add soy sauce, chicken stock, turkey and mushrooms. Sauté, lightly stirring until mushrooms are soft. Add peas and tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Sprinkle the corn starch over the mixture and stir until slightly thickened. Taste, then add salt if desired. Cool in refrigerator until ready to make rolls. Follow the instructions on the packaging for egg roll folding. I pan fry mine in a nonstick pan with a little olive or canola oil in batches and place them in a warm oven until ready to serve. The rolls can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking or after cooking and can be warmed up in the oven. Make more than you think you will need. They will get gobbled up fast!
