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In our first edition of “Restaurant Recipes” Chef Anthony Chalas of La Sirena Restaurant & Bar invited us into his kitchen to see how easy it is to cook the invasive, but delicious lionfish.
Before we started we wanted to know what led Anthony to the kitchen. He told us that he was basically born there. His father is a Greek chef and still Anthony’s favorite cook, while his mother was an expert caterer for more than two decades. Anthony worked his way up through the ranks of many restaurants in New Jersey. He even travelled to Greece, where he spent time working in kitchens and honing his craft.
Anthony’s top tip for wanna-be chefs is to always start with a really hot pan. A big mistake people make is putting food into a pan that has not been properly preheated. His other tip was to not be afraid to finish dishes in the oven.
Anthony opened La Sirena Restaurant & Bar in Puerto Morelos just over one year ago. Featuring Mediterranean cuisine in the restaurant and live music in the bar, it has been a great addition to our little fishing village. He invited us into his kitchen to see how he makes his signature dish “Blackened Lionfish”, a dish that he and head chef Tomas Juarez Rodriguez co-created for last year’s Puerto Morelos Food and Wine Festival. Now he shares his secret with you.
Cooking lionfish may seem like a dangerous task, but it is not. Here in Puerto Morelos, the people at the fish co-operative are happy to fillet the fish for you, removing the poisonous spines that could cause you problems if not handled properly. If you wish to do it yourself, here is a video that shows you how.
Blackened Lionfish (Pez Leon) With a Dilled Sour Cream(recipe below)– Serves 4
For best results make dill sauce ahead of time
4 lionfish filets
2 Tbsp olive oil
Blackening Seasoning
Mix equal parts paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, white and black pepper
Dilled Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
1/2 bunch of dill finely chopped
1 clove fresh finely chopped garlic
dash of Worcestershire sauce
squeeze of lime
salt and pepper to taste
Begin by making the dilled sour cream. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to let the flavours blend.
Cook the lionfish begin by heating 2 Tbsp olive oil in an oven-safe sauté pan until very hot.
Gently coat both sides of lionfish filet with Blackening Seasoning.
Place fillets in a hot pan with the rounded side of the filet face down. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes until blackening is complete. Flip fillets in pan, cook another 2-3 minutes to blacken the other side. Move pan into a preheated 350 F or 170 C degree oven. Allow to bake for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through. Move to plate and top with a dollop of dilled sour cream. Serve with spinach or your favorite fresh vegetable. Also goes great with rice. ENJOY!
Photos by: Robert Birce
