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Cyprus · Lionfish

Pan-Fried Lionfish with Garlic Potato Dip

Lionfish me Skordalia

Lionfish have moved into the waters around Cyprus, and island cooks treat them the old way: floured, fried crisp in olive oil and served with a bowl of punchy skordalia.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Klearchos Kapoutsis from Santorini, Greece · CC BY 2.0
Served with: Greek Village Salad ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the skordalia

For the fish

Method

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

  1. Boil the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with cold salted water, bring to a boil and cook 15–20 minutes until very soft. Save a cup of the cooking water and drain.
  2. Make the skordalia. Pound the garlic with the salt into a smooth paste. Mash the hot potatoes with a fork or ricer (never a blender, it turns gluey) and beat in the garlic, then the olive oil and vinegar a little at a time. Loosen with warm potato water until creamy.
  3. Season the fish. Pat the fillets dry, season with salt and pepper and dust them in flour, shaking off the extra.
  4. Fry. Heat ½ inch (1 cm) of olive oil in a heavy skillet to 350 °F (175 °C). Fry the fillets 2–3 minutes per side until golden and flaky. Drain on a rack.
  5. Serve. Pile the fish on a platter with lemon wedges and a big spoonful of skordalia on each plate.

On the side

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

Greece

Greek Village Salad

Horiatiki

Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and a slab of feta, dressed only with olive oil and oregano. No lettuce, no fuss, just like every seaside taverna in Greece.

  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 0 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 4 ripe tomatoes, in wedges
  • 1 cucumber, partly peeled and sliced thick
  • 1 small red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 green bell pepper, in rings
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives
  • 7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, in one slab
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (optional)

How to make it

  1. Cut the vegetables. Put the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and pepper in a wide bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and vinegar and toss gently.
  2. Top with feta. Scatter the olives and lay the slab of feta right on top.
  3. Dress. Pour the olive oil over everything and sprinkle the oregano on the feta. Serve with bread to mop up the juices.

Photo: cyclonebill · CC BY-SA 2.0

More ways to cook Lionfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

La Parguera, Puerto RicoPuerto Rican Lionfish Ceviche
Galicia, SpainGriddled Lionfish with Garlic-Paprika Oil
Nassau, BahamasBahamian Lionfish Fingers