Lionfish are invading the waters here on the northern Gulf of Mexico. The state of Florida has a campaign to encourage the spearfishing and trapping of lionfish from the Gulf. Underwater pictures of reefs infested with them are disturbing. They are swarming around the reefs like rats, eating everything in sight.
As part of the eradication effort the state is encouraging restaurants to offer lionfish on the menu, and many have begun to do so. One local restaurant has become famous for its lionfish dip.
From the FWC: "Lionfish are commonly used as a food fish in many parts of the world and are considered to be of excellent quality by most who have tried it. When cooked, lionfish fillets are firm, white and flaky with a very mild, non-fishy taste that is comparable to snapper, black sea bass or hogfish. Lionfish can be substituted in recipes for other nonoily fish and can be fried, broiled, baked, steamed or poached. While the spines of lionfish do contain venomous tissue, the flesh of a lionfish is not venomous or poisonous. Several Florida restaurants, seafood markets, and grocery stores are now serving limited amounts of commercially harvested lionfish."