José Andrés is more than a chef, he is one of the best ambassadors of our gastronomy in the United States and a showman. He was not only in charge of the kitchens of the White House during the G8 summit in 2012 or he has set up the Little Spain Market with the Adriàs in New York City, earlier this year he won our hearts with his hilarious appearance in The Drew Barrymore Show where he made known to the American public the advantages offered by the xuxos compared to the croissant. And that he has confessed that he is not very sweet…
In terms of salty dishes, the Asturian has proposed to eat a specific type of fish because, in addition to being healthy and delicious, we will be doing the environment a favor. It’s about the lion fishan invasive species that poses a great threat to the biodiversity and marine ecosystems of the oceans.
To give you an idea, this fish is capable of reducing young reef populations by up to 90% in just five weeks. As José Andrés himself explained in his newsletter Longer Tables, if the consumption of this species increases, its fishing will also increase and the marine ecosystem will benefit.
However, fishing is not easy since it cannot be done with a hook and line, but rather has to be caught with a harpoon. This means that professional divers and experts in the field are required. To make matters worse, lionfish are covered in 18 poisonous spines and their sting is quite painful.
Despite its wild appearance, it is about a white, scaly fish with a fairly mild flavor. In addition, José Andrés proposes several different ways to consume it. We can, for example, cook a fresh lionfish ceviche with salty ocean water and a bit of lime or, if we want something simpler, opt for a fried lionfish recipe with tartar sauce and herb oil.
Cover photo | @fishbyjose
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