Lean, white, sweet and mild, hogfish is a popular Florida Keys specialty. Hogfish taste mild and sweet, similar to grouper. Hogfish, in season in the Atlantic from May 31 through October 31, get their name from their long, elogated snout that helps it eat since it's a bottom feeder.
Ingredients
- 4 6-oz hogfish fillets
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 oz good-quality salted butter
- 1 tablespoon plain bread crumbs
- 1 lemon, halved
- 3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
About this recipe
SERVES 4 This delicate, flaky fish needs only a short cooking time. Overcooking can cause the fish to become rubbery.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with oil spray.
Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, and place the fillets top side up in the baking dish. Dab each fish with a little butter; then sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (fish should flake with a fork).
About 5 minutes before the fish is done, melt the reserved butter in a small sauté pan on medium heat. Adjust heat to medium-low; add scallion and sauté for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Scallions should be bright green and soft. Remove from the heat. Remove cooked hogfish from the oven; squeeze lemon halves over fish. Carefully spoon scallion butter sauce over fillets. Serve immediately.
