For fresh taste of the Atlantic, try this recipe for Islamorada’s spear-caught hogfish that let’s its clean flavors shine.
When in Islamorada, Florida, be sure to try something that is hard to find anywhere else. For Chef Michael Ledwith, that is the locally spear caught hogfish. Over the years, Chef Michael and his team have prepared the fish hundreds of different ways, but when it comes down to it, cooking it simply is always his favorite. Try an easy preparation, like his Adriatic hogfish recipe, that lets the fish’s fresh, clean flavors shine.
Herbed Hogfish from Islamorada Author: Michael LedwithRecipe Type: MainIngredients
- 4-six ounce portions of fresh hogfish
- salt and pepper, to taste
Adriatic Sauce
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaf
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons “Fire Cider”
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper
InstructionsSauce
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the sauce and puree until velvety.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- If the sauce is too thick, slowly add more olive oil.
- Serve the sauce at room temperature. The sauce stays well in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Grill the Fish (The fish can be grilled or pan seared.)
- Have your grill hot and clean.
- Lightly season fish.
- Lightly coat fish with canola oil or spray fish with pan spray.
- When fish is done, transfer to serving plate, lightly nap the fish with Adriatic sauce.
- Served with a lemon wedge, steamed seasoned quinoa and grilled asparagus.
Notes*The “Adriatic” sauce is also an excellent “dip” for crusty bread.The hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) was once called the Hog Snapper but it is a species of wrasse native to the western Atlantic Ocean. It occurs around reefs, especially preferring areas with plentiful gorgonians (Seafans). Hogfish is currently the only known member of its genus.
