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Lionfish Ceviche
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Once again, the Mayreau Lionfish Cooking Competition impressed both judges and spectators alike as 14 dishes vied for the top spot.

Based on taste and presentation marks, Father Rex Ramos’ “Lionfish Ceviche” took 1st place, followed by “Creole Lionfish” with “Lionfish Roll” created by Shuntel Forde and Simon Lewis’ “Lionfish Quiche”.

The competition demonstrated that almost any meal can be cooked with delicious, nutritious lionfish.

As a result of this year’s completion, people of Mayreau and their visitors had a chance to taste the winning dishes as well as lionfish lasagna, lionfish tempura, lionfish bacon and cheese burgers, lionfish macaroni salad, lionfish samosas, pumpkin-stuffed lionfish and bacon rolls, lionfish wraps, grilled lionfish in cream sauce with garlic bread, lionfish omelette and lionfish stuffed potato.

The competition was judged by Nikala Williams of FLOW, Marsha John of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chef Clinton Joseph of the Bequia Beach Hotel, all of which are sponsors for this year’s regatta.

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St. Vincent and the Grenadines Yellow Pages sponsored the 3rd Annual Lionfish Cooking Competition in addition to the 5th Annual Lionfish Derby held earlier in the day along with a public lionfish-tasting event on Saline Bay.

Meanwhile, Union Island Fishermen took all the top prizes in the 5th Annual Mayreau Regatta Lionfish Derby, beating out men from Mayreau and Canouan.

In total, four boats brought in 208 lionfish, making it a very bad day indeed for those southern Grenadines invaders.

The team from Grenadines Dive on Union Island took top honour in the most heads category, bringing in 69.  Team Kevisha, captained by Kevin “Blackie” Ryan, brought in 64 for 2nd place and Mayreau’s Marion, captained by Samuel Forde, brought in 52.

In the biggest lionfish category, Team Kevisha brought in a whopping lionfish that measured 16 1/3 inches. Team Skipper, captained by Elmore Snagg of Canouan, captured a 15 1/2 inches long lionfish and Marion from Mayreau captured 3rd place with a 14 2/3 inches long lionfish.

Grenadines Dive found the smallest lionfish, which was a mere 113 millimeters or 4 1/2 inches from lips to end of tail. Kevisha came second just edging out Skipper by a single millimeter. Their smallest lionfish were 142 and 143 millimeters.

Reefs and other habitats like wharfs and sea grass beds in the Southern Grenadines are now safer places for baby snappers and groupers as well as shrimp, lobster and crabs with 208 fewer voracious lionfish in the water.

One reply on “Mayreau’s lionfish dishes impress judges, spectators”

  1. C. ben-David says:

    I am worried about glorifying this recently invasive predatory species — however good it may taste — which should be fished to extinction because it is a threat to our local fish and crustacean eco-system.

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