The Plague of the Delicious Lionfish

If you’re tired of the same old salmon, tuna, and tilapia choices on the menu when you go out to eat, keep your eyes open for lionfish, popping up on menus around the coastal U.S., Mexico, South America, the Caribbean, and Central America. Native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Caribbean and Atlantic are experiencing a plague of the beautiful but invasive lionfish, which has an insatiable appetite and, with a lack of natural predators, an exploding population.

One of the only means of population control that has worked so far has been simply encouraging fishermen to start catching the species, whether individually or during competitions, such as REEF.org‘s lionfish derbies, held in southern Florida and the Bahamas. Because lionfish are such a threat to reefs and other fish populations, and because they reproduce quickly, many state and municipal authorities responsible for fishing regulations encourage anglers to catch as many lionfish as possible. In fact, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission imposes no limits on the number of lionfish that can be caught in a single day, and in August 2012, it suspended the recreational license requirement for fishermen catching lionfish with a spear or net.

What happens once fishermen catch the lionfish is where things get really interesting. Chefs have started experimenting with pez leon and they’re discovering that their customers love lionfish, which has a mild white meat that lends itself to a variety of traditional and innovative preparations. “If your local waters are going to be overrun by an invasive species, I suppose it might as well be a delicious one,” says Chef Jeff Spiegel of Belize’s Azul Restaurant. 

Working with lionfish in the kitchen typically involves a learning curve, even for chefs like Spiegel who work within view of the waters where they’re caught. The spines of the lionfish are venomous, and while rarely lethal, their removal requires careful knife-work. “It’s a pretty big sting,” says Chef Randy Evans, executive chef and co-owner of Haven Restaurant and Cove Cold Bar, both in Houston. Evans uses thick rubber gloves and scissors to “cut its mane” before filleting the lionfish. He notes that since lionfish aren’t large compared to, say, salmon, tuna, or even trout, their yield is lower, so commercial kitchens require large quantities if they want lionfish on their menu as a regular item. Though many fishermen know there’s good business in selling lionfish, few have been successful in turning their catches into a consistent commercial enterprise… yet. As the popularity of the fish increases among foodies, it’s likely that supplying lionfish will become its own cottage industry.

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Lionfish is always on the menu at Evans’ restaurants, where the fish has been so popular that the chef just concluded his second annual lionfish dinner. A regular customer who is a scuba diver introduced Chef Evans to lionfish and suggested there might just be an audience for a lionfish tasting menu. Evans was floored when his first lionfish dinner sold out in just two days. 

Evans, like many chefs who have experimented with lionfish, has found that many Latin ingredients go well with the fish, which he describes as having a neutral flavor. At Cove, he prepares the lionfish as a sashimi, with lots of citrus and coconut. He has also steamed lionfish in hoja santa leaves, though he cautions that since the lionfish isn’t oily, it tends to dry out quickly.

Other chefs, from Miami Beach to Bimini, have found lionfish take well to Latin ingredients, too. Chef Carlos Torres of 660 at The Angler’s Boutique Resort in Miami Beach serves lionfish ceviche with fresh coconut, red onion, cilantro, coconut milk, and crumbled tostones. Another popular preparation is breaded; Chef Alvarez Bastian of the Bimini Big Game Club in the Bahamas serves panko-breaded lionfish nuggets with a cilantro and key lime tartar sauce on his menu.   

If you’re a home cook keen to experiment with lionfish, it will probably be difficult for you to get your hands on the fish unless you’re angling for it yourself or know someone who is spearing or netting it. Lionfish availability may also be constricted due to the FDA’s recent addition of the species to its list of fish that are either known or suspected to harbor ciguatoxins, which can cause neurological disorders. While the FDA pointed out that no known reports of illness have been traced to lionfish consumption, it offers the list as a sort of buyer-beware resource. It’s worth noting that many other fish that are widely available and are far more popular with both restaurant chefs and home cooks–including grouper, snapper, and popmpano–are also on the ciguatoxin warning list. 

If you’re having a tough time finding lionfish, or if the idea of venomous lionfish spines is intimidating, you can find Latin-inspired lionfish on menus from New Orleans to Mexico City:

And if the idea of venomous lionfish spines is intimidating, you can find Latin-inspired lionfish on menus from New Orleans to Mexico City:

New Orleans: Chef Tenney Flynn, co-owner of the upscale seafood restaurant GW Fins, is so enthusiastic about serving lionfish that he doesn’t just cook it; he became a certified diver so he could participate in “lionfish rodeos.” He has prepared lionfish many ways, including with a four-melon salsa.

Turks & Caicos: Chef Wolfgang von Wieser, executive chef at Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos, serves Grilled Turks Lionfish with Plantain and Avocado Hash and Coriander Papaya Salsa.

Puerto Rico: El Fogon de la Curva, on Puerto Rico’s west coast, serves up lionfish in various guises, including stuffed inside traditional Puerto Rican empanadillas. Their motto, “From our boats to your plate” isn’t just a tagline; the restaurant sources its lionfish from local waters, where a booming population ensures a steady supply of the pez leon.

Mexico City: Unlike many restaurants, which don’t have lionfish on their menu year-round, Mar del Zur, a Thai-Mex fusion restaurant, serves lionfish tempura with a spicy cucumber salsa year-round.

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Now it’s your turn. Befriend a fisherman and then try these lionfish recipes at home. 

“The Lion in the Coconut” Lionfish Ceviche

• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 1/2 green plantain
• 1 ounce fresh ginger
• 4 ounces coconut milk
• 8 ounces lionfish
• 3 lemons
• 1/2 red onion, julienned
• 3 ounces cilantro, chopped
• 1 ounce kosher salt

Get the full recipe. 

Lionfish Poisson Cru  

• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
• 1 pound lionfish fillets
• 1 navel orange, segmented and chopped
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons yuzu juice
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeno
• sea salt
• aged balsamic vinegar, for garnish

Get the full recipe.