You may ask why I’ve decided to create a cookbook centered around one fish—the lionfish. Lionfish are beautiful, but did you know that they are also dangerous…and that they can also be delicious? Before getting into how they are best prepared, it’s important to understand how this species popped up all over the globe. 

Today, Lionfish can be found all over the world. They originated in the tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, but have spread from over North and South America’s east coast ranging from Massachusetts all the way down to Venezuela. However, the ubiquity of this fish is not a natural phenomenon—the lionfish species is one of today’s most notorious invasive species. Invasive species range from plants to animals to insects—what they all have in common is that they spread from their native origin to new environments and wreak environmental havoc as a result. According to the National Wildlife Foundation, “They can harm the environment, the economy, or even human health. Species that grow and reproduce quickly, and spread aggressively, with potential to cause harm, are given the label “invasive.” 42% of species of endangered animals world wide are endangered due to an invasive species. 

So how did the lionfish spread? No…they did not grow wings… Their beauty (and humans) can somewhat be blamed. They were first spotted off of the coast of Florida in the 1980s. While it’s not exactly 100% proven, it’s widely accepted that they were brought to the Americas to go display in aquariums and then from there wound up in nearby sea waters. Unfortunately, for several reasons, the lionfish have been able to thrive in these unchartered waters. They can thrive at a variety of depths and temperatures, meaning the cooler climates in the Atlantic do not pose a major threat To make matters even worse, they reproduce rapidly. Female lionfish produce 4,000-30,000 eggs every few days, thus expanding the population exponentially. Finally, because lionfish are not native to the Atlantic ocean, they have no natural predators, meaning there is not a natural way for the environment to curb their growth. 

So what does this mean for the environments newly introduced to the lionfish population? Today, they are responsible for degrading overall reef habitat and health in dozens of countries around the world. Lionfish are able to eat 30 times the volume of their stomach in each feeding, meaning they consume a massive amount of native, oftentimes endangered, fish. In the Cayman Islands, they eat 60-70 species of native fish, outcompeting the native fish, and causing disruption to the natural food chain. They also prey on damselfish, which is a herbivorous species that feeds on algae that grows on coral. This causes a disruption to a natural balance, and causes overgrowth of algae on coral, often killing it. 

Not to mention, they are a highly venomous fish with eighteen venomous spikes on their spine, attaining a neurotoxin similar to that of a cobra. Because lionfish have no natural predators, 

Currently, the invasive lionfish problem is being handled in a number of ways. While many of these efforts have helped significantly, the invasive lionfish population has gotten to a point where they are virtually impossible to eradicate, so are more geared toward limiting their growth. Free divers and scuba divers across the world are using the spearfishing technique to mitigate populations. 

I began scuba diving during the summer of 2021 in the British Virgin Islands where I first learned about the invasive lionfish problem. Since then, I have done field work, such as going on spearfishing trips, in an effort to lessen this issue. While one of my goals in publishing this book was to share recipes that readers can make and enjoy at home, my main goal is to support the effort to mitigate the lionfish population by incentivizing people to cook with this fish. White fish is healthy and delicious, and many of my favorite dishes use white fish, or feature a protein that could easily be replaced by lionfish. Substituting your go-to white fishes with lionfish (if local) is a great way to incorporate sustainable practices into your cooking. Increasing the amount of recipes available lionfish dishes will incentivize fishermen to catch them and in turn will help to alleviate this environmental issue. I have grown up around the ocean and it has always been really important to me. Rising ocean acidity, reef problems, and most recently invasive species, have degraded our beautiful oceans. 

         While the recipes on the following pages are not originally mine, I have carefully chosen popular dishes from a variety of cultures to show how versatile this fish can be!  I have collaborated with several celebrated chefs, such as X, who have kindly agreed to contribute recipes to this book, in addition to contributing my own recipes. I hope that you and your loved ones can enjoy these dishes together knowing that you are helping our planet!

This recipe will be included in my cookbook. 

Did you know that soaking fish in acid is a form of cooking? This technique of cooking raw fish in vinegars and citrices was brought to America from Spain. Ceviche is a popular dish from the Moche and Vicús cultures, where modern day Peru is. It is a tangy, spicy, and refreshing dish that you can whip up within minutes.  Most commonly made with lean white fish, lionfish makes for the perfect sustainable ingredient for the dish. Just grab your knife and chop up some fish and vegetables, and let them sit in citrus juice and vinegar. Then you can set sail on a tangy culinary experience. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of raw, sushi grade lionfish

• 1/2 a lemon

• 1/2 a lime

• 2 tbsp white vinegar 

• 1/2 cup diced vegetables

• 1 pinch of salt

• 1 pinch of pepper 

• Optional: other desired seasonings (red pepper flakes, paprika, etc)

• Optional: 1/2 avocado

Cooking Instructions:

1. Chop raw lion fish into 1 cm/1cm cubes 

2. Add lemon juice, lime juice, and vinegar (optional: add vegetables diced such as onions, tomatoes, or peppers) 

3. Let marinate for 30 mins-1 hour 

4. Add salt & pepper along with any other desired seasonings

5. Optional: add diced avocado 

6. Enjoy