3 minute read
Fresh from the Reef
EAT ’EM TO BEAT ’EM: LIONFISH CUISINE PUTS AN INVASIVE SPECIES ON THE DINNER TABLE
In Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida, local chefs, conservationists, marine biologists, and tourism officials are working to turn an environmental threat into culinary and recreational gold
Eric Lucas
Can you make a silk purse from a sow’s ear?
The citizens of Destin-Fort Walton Beach (DFWB), Florida, are trying. In this case, the dubious item is an invasive, rapacious Asian fish that has mushroomed along both coasts of Florida, across the Caribbean, and into the Atlantic as far south as Brazil—the lionfish.
Lionfish reproduce exponentially. Their voracious behavior is a threat to native fish stocks and reef life. They have no natural predators.
And they’re really good to eat.
“Definitely a silver lining, right?” said Parker Destin, local restaurateur, community leader, and a sixth-generation descendant of the settler whose name the city bears. “Lionfish is one of the best flaky white fish you could serve. If I could have it on the menu every day, I would. Take something bad and make it into something good.”
But lionfish cuisine presents several problems. First and foremost, they don’t readily lend themselves to commercial fishing. As solitary reef predators, hook-and-line won’t work—“Think I’ve seen a lionfish on the line twice in 10 years,” reported another area restaurateur and wholesale fishmonger, Eddie Morgan. They aren’t school fish, so netting and trawling not only wouldn’t work, but it would damage seabeds and reefs.
The only practical way to harvest lionfish is by hand—spearfishing. Doing so requires scuba and spearfishing gear. Diving is no walk in the park. And a special bonus issue is that lionfish have venomous spines, complicating the process of cleaning your catch (best to snip them off with scissors).
DFWB’s answer is to try to make
During Lionfish
Restaurant Week, local chefs highlight the fish on their menus.
The winner of
the Emerald Coast Open gets a trophy and $10,000.
EMERALD COAST OPEN
Lionfish Dinner:
Lionfish Restaurant Week is May 8 through May 14.
The “Mane” Event:
The main tournament will be held on May 13 and May 14.
Festive Lionizing:
The waterfront Lionfish Awareness and Removal Day Festival on May 14 and May 15 will offer tastings, fileting demos, and more.
And the Winner Is:
The final weigh-in takes place on May 15. EmeraldCoastOpen.com the problem a visitor attraction: Lure tourists to the area for lionfish hunting.Thusthecitybeganhosting the annual Emerald Coast Open LionfishTournament,nowinitsthird year. The most prolific spearfisher gets $10,000; there’s also a $5,000 prize for the biggest fish. The week leadinguptothetournament,sixlocal restaurants will feature lionfish on their menus—largely using fish caught during a “pre-tournament” eventongoingsinceearlyFebruary. Lastyear,theeventdrew100spearfishingparticipantsand7,000peopletotheaccompanyingfestivaland eradicated 14,000 lionfish.
Although just mid-size—18 inches—mature lionfish are conspicuous,withvividlypatternedlongfins jutting out at all angles. Like many invasives,theywereandstillaresold to Americans for decorative purposes—in this case, for aquariums. Sometime in the 1980s, they began Alex Fogg, marine biologist and local “lionfish guy,” is working with the tourism bureau to fight invasive lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico.
to show up in Southeast saltwaters.
“We aren’t hoping to wipe out lionfish; that’s impossible,” said Alex Fogg, a marine biologist who’s working with the area’s tourism bureau. “But dedicated harvesting can definitely have a beneficial impact in localized areas, helping native fishes recover, and if we manage that, great.”
So how do you cook it? Destin and Morgan report that it’s great simply grilled, deep-fried, or pan-roasted. Morgan likens it to cod or haddock.
“Makes great sushi, too,” Morgan said; his Harbor Docks restaurant includes a sushi bar. “We do face some resistance from customers due to unfamiliarity, but if you can get them to try it, they love it.”
