An invasive lionfish removal and education nonprofit has shared a tasty recipe using the invasive delicacy.
Posting on their TikTok account, the Lionfish Extermination Corp (@lionfishextermination) shared a simple recipe for cooking the invasive species using just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients.
@lionfishextermination Here is the dish that Mary described in the previous video! Mary is the nice lady that I give my small invasive Lionfish to. One day she asked me what Fish I was cleaning when she was going to work over at her restaurant that she works at. I told her they were lionfish and she wanted to try them so I started giving her The smaller ones and she makes some nice dishes with them. It has been a couple of years now, so I decided to ask her what her favorite Lionfish recipe was. I think this is pretty close! Let me know what you guys think. Does it look good? #lionfish #invasivespecies #redlionfish #spearfishing #spearinglionfish #savetheocean #cleanuptheocean ♬ original sound – Lionfish Extermination Corp
The recipe, shared by a chef who takes some of the lionfish the nonprofit has caught, uses parsley, garlic, tomatoes, lionfish, and seasoning to create the perfect dish. The recipe is really simple; all you need to do is chop the ingredients and mix them with olive oil.
The ingredients are then transferred to an oven-proof dish and baked for 30 minutes at 350°F. While baking, the fisher prepared some simple pasta to accompany it.
This simple yet nutritious dish makes use of the removed invasive fish that would otherwise be discarded.
Invasive plants and animals have been introduced through human activity to areas where they are not usually found, and they compete with native wildlife and plants for habitat and food.
This can negatively impact native species, many of which are essential for the proper functioning of ecosystems. Therefore, removing invasive species is crucial for protecting biodiversity.
Hunting and trapping invasive wildlife and transforming the creatures into culinary delights can help provide nutritious food while also removing a problem from the environment.
Catching the unwanted critters also helps save tax dollars. Research published in the journal Neobiota in 2021 suggested that invasive species have cost North America over $26 billion per year since 2010.
Programs worldwide aim to remove invasive species and help natural environments flourish, whether it’s incentives for removing wild boar or volunteer programs to remove invasive plants.
People in the comments were impressed with the simple but tasty-looking dish, with one commenter writing, “The whole meal looks healthy and delicious.”
Others were more curious. “What does lionfish taste like?” asked one commenter.
The fisher replied, “It’s white flaky fish just like most other fish. It tastes pretty darn good!”
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