CRISPY CURRY FRIED WHOLE LIONFISH

The lionfish spines—which can be venomous—must be removed very carefully. I mention it here because you are using a whole lionfish. The fish itself should be cleaned and rinsed in cold water. A fresh mixture of herbs and spices is essential for flavor.

Serves 2

½ cup cilantro
½ cup parsley
½ cup scallion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons Caribbean curry powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 large lime, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
1 large whole lionfish
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
½ cup flour

TO PREPARE GREEN SEASONING SAUCE

In a blender, pulse together the cilantro, parsley, scallion, garlic, allspice, curry, salt, sugar, and lime juice until pureed together. Drizzle in the olive oil with the blender running. Using a rubber spatula, pour the sauce into a glass container with a lid.

TO PREPARE THE LIONFISH

Cut three slashes in the thickest part of the lionfish on both sides. In a small bowl, mix 3 Tablespoons of cold water with 3 Tablespoons of the green seasoning. Use this to marinate the fish in a large ziplock bag for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

TO FRY THE LIONFISH

Remove the fish from marinade and shake off excess liquid. Place flour in a shallow plate. In a pan large enough hold the fish, heat the oil to 325 degrees. Once oil is hot, coat fish in flour and gently slide coated fish into hot oil and fry 5 minutes on each side, carefully turning the fish until golden brown in color. When the fish is evenly golden all over, remove and drain on paper towel.

TO SERVE

Serve hot with additional green seasoning sauce on the side.

Whole fish cookery is very popular in the Caribbean. Probably most small fish or pot fish are served this way in homes and in local restaurants. Many locals will fight over the fleshy sweet fish cheeks. Regretfully, not everyone is willing to do the work to pick out the tastiest morsels of fish.

Printer-friendly Version