Last night, the family went to The Tin Cow in Pensacola for a small celebration. We've gone there for years for their great burgers. But last night they had something different on the menu:
Smoked lionfish seafood dip!
The dish comes garnished with two tomato slices and a bed of arugula. Tortilla chips are the dip delivery system of choice. The presentation was fairly unremarkable, but this concoction is an appetizer, not some avant garde foodie bait. Curious, I ordered some for the family.
Now I liked it. Not something I would seek out, but it was not bad. The rest of the family was similarly underwhelmed and stopped eating the dip fairly quickly. Nonetheless, I found the experience an interesting intellectual exercise in apocalyptic thinking.
I suppose that it sounds weird that an appetizer would be relevant to a barren wasteland, but follow me for a bit.
As I was ordering this novel seafood offering, I asked generically,"What's this lionfish dip all about?" Our waiter Joshua seemed a little unsure how to proceed, and asked if I know what lionfish are.
Living on the Gulf Coast, lionfish have been in the news frequently, albeit not an eye-grabbing headline story (yet). The pterois volitans is an invasive species, natives of the waters of the southeast Asian archipelagos. Notorious for their venomous spines hidden throughout their flowing, speckled fins, these fish are a rare pet for those looking for a natural conjunction of beauty and danger. However, much like the albino gators of the NYC sewers, disenchanted owners have been dumping these predators into the waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico for decades. There is now a self-sustaining population in these waters that have grown dramatically in the absence of natural enemies.
So if they have no enemies naturally, can we create one to combat their advance? That's where the culinary experiment of the lionfish dip enters the picture. Stripped of the spines, the fish has meat like any other aquatic denizen. So many minds are trying to create a dish or recipe that uses that meat. Unfortunately, there is nothing distinctive about the taste or texture of lionfish filets. The smoked lionfish dip is yet another experiment.
In the matter of the recipe, it could do with a twist of flavor, maybe a sour hint of lemon, or the sweet blend of apple. There is potential but not yet success. But the concept started my contemplation about the future of lionfish if chefs never succeed in finding a market for this piscine interloper.
In the uncertain future of Gamma World, would lionfish grow larger? More aggressive? More intelligent? Would other creatures develop in response to evolved lionfish? Even "as is" a lionfish is a worthy if low-level RPG opponent. Developing environmental advantages only enhances its threat level.
So I guess I'll let you know where my imagination and research lead me next. Bon apetit.
Smoked lionfish seafood dip!
The dish comes garnished with two tomato slices and a bed of arugula. Tortilla chips are the dip delivery system of choice. The presentation was fairly unremarkable, but this concoction is an appetizer, not some avant garde foodie bait. Curious, I ordered some for the family.
Now I liked it. Not something I would seek out, but it was not bad. The rest of the family was similarly underwhelmed and stopped eating the dip fairly quickly. Nonetheless, I found the experience an interesting intellectual exercise in apocalyptic thinking.
I suppose that it sounds weird that an appetizer would be relevant to a barren wasteland, but follow me for a bit.
As I was ordering this novel seafood offering, I asked generically,"What's this lionfish dip all about?" Our waiter Joshua seemed a little unsure how to proceed, and asked if I know what lionfish are.
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| Photo from NOAA |
So if they have no enemies naturally, can we create one to combat their advance? That's where the culinary experiment of the lionfish dip enters the picture. Stripped of the spines, the fish has meat like any other aquatic denizen. So many minds are trying to create a dish or recipe that uses that meat. Unfortunately, there is nothing distinctive about the taste or texture of lionfish filets. The smoked lionfish dip is yet another experiment.
In the matter of the recipe, it could do with a twist of flavor, maybe a sour hint of lemon, or the sweet blend of apple. There is potential but not yet success. But the concept started my contemplation about the future of lionfish if chefs never succeed in finding a market for this piscine interloper.
In the uncertain future of Gamma World, would lionfish grow larger? More aggressive? More intelligent? Would other creatures develop in response to evolved lionfish? Even "as is" a lionfish is a worthy if low-level RPG opponent. Developing environmental advantages only enhances its threat level.
So I guess I'll let you know where my imagination and research lead me next. Bon apetit.
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