Our annual survey of seafood in Southeast Louisiana this year counts down the 33 best seafood species enjoyed especially in restaurants. It is also found in the home kitchens of avid fishermen, for whom the catch of a lemonfish is an exciting prize. It also lends itself well to outdoor cooking, particularly over a hot wood or charcoal fire. But that's also something that may be more common in a restaurant than at home.
Lemonfish--also known as cobia and ling--is a meaty fish along the lines of a tuna or swordfish, except that there's no mistaking the pale ivory color. It's a great eating fish, and exciting to cook. The fillets of even a moderate-size lemonfish can be as much as three or four feet long and four inches thick. It's firm in texture and has big, easily-removed bones. The lemonfish name is a reference to a citrusy taste that the fish is alleged to possess, although I can't say I've ever noticed this.
#11: Lemonfish
My peak experience with lemonfish involved a grill propped up on oak logs over a ground fire of pecan wood. It was built during a campout at a sugar plantation by a bunch of Cub Scouts. Seafood purveyor Harlon Pearce (he and I were both Scout dads) brought a large lemonfish fillet. We coated it with Creole seasoning and dropped on the grill for about twenty minutes. The outside was nearly blackened. When we cut into it and started passing it around, even people who had their doubts about such a big fish cooked that way were thrilled to eat it.
Lemonfish is almost always cut into steaks, then grilled. It has all the qualities you want of a grilling fish: it's thick enough to encrust without overcooking, it lends itself to interesting seasoning levels, and its flavor is meaty. It also comes out very nice when broiled. Recently, I've encountered lemonfish in sushi bars. It's great with ponzu, green onions, and a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce instead of the usual soy sauce and wasabi.
Not enough lemonfish is caught for it to be a regular menu item anywhere. But if you see it as a special or the catch of the day, get it. The eating is marvelous.
