For this entry I decided to show, how you can properly prepare lionfish.
I wrote about the problems of this special fish in the carribean, when we're diving we try to shoot every lionfish we see. Then we take the big ones clean them and take them home to eat them. But you have to be careful when doing this. Why?
As said before the lionfish has spines and some of them carry a neurotoxin. A co-worker of mine said if you get stung it is extremey painful, however it can only be deadly if you're allergic to the kind of venom. Because it's a protein-based venom it can be treated if you put the stung area in hot water which breaks the proteins apart.
This shows were you the venomous spines are.
I wrote about the problems of this special fish in the carribean, when we're diving we try to shoot every lionfish we see. Then we take the big ones clean them and take them home to eat them. But you have to be careful when doing this. Why?
As said before the lionfish has spines and some of them carry a neurotoxin. A co-worker of mine said if you get stung it is extremey painful, however it can only be deadly if you're allergic to the kind of venom. Because it's a protein-based venom it can be treated if you put the stung area in hot water which breaks the proteins apart.
This shows were you the venomous spines are.
Now once we end our dive we bring all the lionfish on the boat. Some guys cut the spines of underwater or put them in a container were they can no longer sting you. I start cutting the spines on the boat, thats why I have to be careful underwater.
On the first picture you see the lionfish I shot. They are not very hard to hit because their hardly moving only if you miss they escape very fast.
Fisrt step as said is cut all the spines off, also the not venomous ones because you dont want to eat them anyway.
Then I cut the fins of and remove the head. For this I cut along the area where the side fins were.
The next step is to cut out area on the back and on the bottom were the venomous spines were located. The ends of the cut off spines still carry venom in it which is why I am wearing gloves. After that you can peel the skin off or leave it on, I like to cook them without the skin.
Fisrt step as said is cut all the spines off, also the not venomous ones because you dont want to eat them anyway.
Then I cut the fins of and remove the head. For this I cut along the area where the side fins were.
The next step is to cut out area on the back and on the bottom were the venomous spines were located. The ends of the cut off spines still carry venom in it which is why I am wearing gloves. After that you can peel the skin off or leave it on, I like to cook them without the skin.
You can prepare lionfish in many different ways. A common one is to put them in aluminium foil with seasoning, I prefer bajan seasoning, which contains shallots, onions, garlic, hot peppers, vinegar, salt and pepper.
I made them differently, I fried them in the pan with butter added some lemon slices and covered the pan so the fish doesn't dry to out to much.
As sides I made some toast and my very kind neighbour gave me some coconut and banana bread which you can see on the third picture. I will post the receipt for them here as soon as I get it from her.
The green round fruits on the picture are akees, a fruit very liked by the bajans and sold everywhere for little money. They are like litchis, but with less fruit flesh and they also taste very different. With some fruit juice and a banana this was a delicious dish.
In three weeks I'm heading home again, sadly the time passes very fast, but I already had a lot of great experiences with the country, the culture and the people here.
Bardbados is simply amazing, once you get accustomed to the heat and the humidity which nearly killed me in the first two weeks...
I made them differently, I fried them in the pan with butter added some lemon slices and covered the pan so the fish doesn't dry to out to much.
As sides I made some toast and my very kind neighbour gave me some coconut and banana bread which you can see on the third picture. I will post the receipt for them here as soon as I get it from her.
The green round fruits on the picture are akees, a fruit very liked by the bajans and sold everywhere for little money. They are like litchis, but with less fruit flesh and they also taste very different. With some fruit juice and a banana this was a delicious dish.
In three weeks I'm heading home again, sadly the time passes very fast, but I already had a lot of great experiences with the country, the culture and the people here.
Bardbados is simply amazing, once you get accustomed to the heat and the humidity which nearly killed me in the first two weeks...