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Bahamas · Lionfish

Bahamian Lionfish Fingers

Lionfish Fingers

Fish fry night at Arawak Cay, Bahamian style: strips of lionfish soaked in lime and goat pepper, rolled in seasoned cracker crumbs and fried golden. Kids and grown folks both clean the plate.

  • Prep 20 min + 20 min soak
  • Cook 15 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: EHRENBERG Kommunikation · CC BY-SA 2.0
Served with: Bahamian Coleslaw ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the coating

For the dip

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Soak the fish. Toss the strips with the lime juice, goat pepper, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 20 minutes, no longer.
  2. Set up the coating. Put the flour in one dish, the egg in a second, and the cracker crumbs mixed with paprika, garlic powder and thyme in a third.
  3. Bread the fingers. Lift the strips out of the lime, roll them in flour, dip in egg and press into the crumbs. Lay them on a tray.
  4. Fry. Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil to 350 °F (175 °C). Fry the fingers in small batches for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on a rack and salt lightly.
  5. Serve. Stir the dip ingredients together and serve the hot fingers with the dip, lime wedges and a scoop of Bahamian coleslaw.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

The Bahamas

Bahamian Coleslaw

Coleslaw

Crunchy, slightly sweet cabbage slaw with a kick of goat pepper. In Nassau’s Arawak Cay fish fry it comes with every plate of fried snapper.

  • Prep 15 min + 30 min chilling
  • Cook 0 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • ½ medium green cabbage, finely shredded (about 5 cups)
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • ¼ small onion, grated
  • ⅔ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ goat or Scotch bonnet pepper, minced (optional)

How to make it

  1. Shred. Shred the cabbage very fine and grate the carrots and onion into a big bowl.
  2. Make the dressing. Whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt and hot pepper until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Toss. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss until everything is coated.
  4. Chill. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Stir again before serving.

Photo: Stanistani · CC BY-SA 3.0

More ways to cook Lionfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

La Parguera, Puerto RicoPuerto Rican Lionfish Ceviche
Larnaca, CyprusPan-Fried Lionfish with Garlic Potato Dip
Galicia, SpainGriddled Lionfish with Garlic-Paprika Oil