{"id":762,"date":"2013-09-01T14:25:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-01T18:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=762"},"modified":"2024-09-26T12:20:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T16:20:28","slug":"mariners-menu-ingesting-invaders-serving-up-lionfish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/mariners-menu-ingesting-invaders-serving-up-lionfish\/","title":{"rendered":"MARINER’S MENU: Ingesting Invaders: Serving Up Lionfish"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Lionfish are beautiful, poisonous, invasive \u2014 and delicious. These Indo-Pacific fish now thrive in reefs off the coast of North Carolina, where they find an abundance of food and shelter, and no natural predators. In fact, some researchers report that the lionfish off the state’s coast have excessive amounts of fat, likely caused by easy living conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some coastal restaurants, such as Bistro by the Sea in Morehead City, are trying to help reduce the population of this species by serving up these fish to eager diners (see the Coastwatch<\/em> article, “Hunting Lions<\/a>“).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Coastwatch article, “How to Dress and Fillet Lionfish,” Barry Nash, North Carolina Sea Grant’s seafood technology and marketing specialist, demonstrates how to dress and fillet the fish. Once the venomous spines are clipped, treat lionfish like any other white fish \u2014 moist, tasty and easy to prepare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some lionfish recipes, adapted from the Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas<\/em> seafood resource book by Joyce Taylor. If you cannot get lionfish, substitute with any white fish, such as flounder, grouper or snapper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get a copy of Mariner’s Menu<\/em>, check your local bookstores. Or to order a copy from North Carolina Sea Grant, call 919\/515-9101. For more ideas and recipes, check the Mariner’s Menu<\/em> blog at www.marinersmenu.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 E.L.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LIONFISH WITH FRESH HERB MAYONNAISE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fresh herb mayonnaise is a nice complement for this lionfish recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n