Braised Lionfish in Szechuan Hot Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Lionfish (Scaled & cleaned)

A:
1 Tablespoon hot bean paste
1 Tablespoon scallion, chopped
1 Tablespoon ginger root, chopped/grated
1 Tablespoon garlic clove, pressed

B:
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water

C:
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoon water

3 Tablespoon scallion/cilantro for garnish

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* Make diagonal cuts along spine of fish is cooking whole or along skin-side of fillets to allow sauce to permeate fish.
* Lightly fry fish in oil until just undercooked. Remove and set aside on paper towels to drain.
* Saute ingredients in list A until fragrant.
* Add fish back to pan along with ingredient list B.
* Turn heat down to simmer, cover pan and cook for total 4-mins for filets or approximately total 8-mins (4-mins each side) side for whole fish.

* Transfer fish to plate, leaving sauce in pan.
* Mix ingredient list C: together before adding to pan to thicken sauce. Salt & pepper to taste.
* Pour thickened sauce over fish and garnish with scallions/cilantro.

I did not know you can even eat Lionfish. MY lips and tongue are numb.

Lionfish is eaten in parts of SE Asia. As it doesn't really have much meat, the dish is more of a delicacy. The toxin denatures under heat so the tricky part is the prep. The odd and ends from the prep process is usually added to the stock pot.