Triggerfish

[bahiatrader]

Although I rarely see anything about trigerfish on this website, It's one of the predominant fish caught in the Rocky Point area. I particularloy like it's sweet, almost lobster like taste. Whether baked, broiled or fried it is always good when garnished with lobster sauce. Following is a lobster sauce recipe that's quick, easy and tasty.

LOBSTER SAUCE
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Ingredients:
2 or 3 large garlic cloves
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup sweet white wine (or 1 tbs of sugar with dry dry white wine)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh or ground ginger*
2 egg whites
2 tbs corn starch
1/4 cup water
*(prefferably fresh ground which is cheaper than the commercially ground kind. You'll probably need to bring ginger from the US. I don't think I've ever found any in a Mexican market.

Directions:
Combine all sauce ingredients except egg whites, water for corn starch and corn starch in a sauce pan and heat to almost boiling.

Mix corn starch with 1/4 cup of water and add to the sauce ingredients.

Heat quickly to integrate thickener. Briefly wisk egg whites and pour over top while on med/high heat. Allow eggs whites to cook without stirring until whites appear mostly cooked. Stir with a spoon 2 or 3 times so as not to destroy integrity of egg whites (keeping large pieces of egg).

I hope you enjoy it. There's another type of lobster sauce made with black beans, but this one is qiuck easy and delicious.
Trigger fish makes pretty good ceviche also.

 

[bahiatrader]

My wife usually makes the lobster sauce even though I originally taught her how to make it with chicken broth. She told me that instead of using chicken broth, she'll make a stock out of trigger fish heads and bones if she has time. I like it both ways. Sometimes she'll chop up some jalapeños and throw them in. Incidentally, don't let one bite you. They've got powerful jaws. I had one take a big hunk out of my finger when I first started catching them. Once bitten...

 

[rockyptjoe]

Some friends of mine used to spend months in their rv at Playa Bonita....he was from Barbados and his wife was German and an excellent cook.....he'd spend a couple of hours fishing every day off the beach in his inflatable dink and always caught triggerfish. His wife cooked them up....sauteed with a lot of onion.....fantastic......didn't smell or taste like fish...almost a pork chop texture

 

[rockyptjoe]

My wife usually makes the lobster sauce even though I originally taught her how to make it with chicken broth. She told me that instead of using chicken broth, she'll make a stock out of trigger fish heads and bones if she has time. I like it both ways. Sometimes she'll chop up some jalapeños and throw them in. Incidentally, don't let one bite you. They've got powerful jaws. I had one take a big hunk out of my finger when I first started catching them. Once bitten...

They are the ugliest fish I've seen.....used to dry out the heads, then pull out the teeth/jaw when my daughter was young....nasty looking....maybe like a piranha????

 

[Kenny]

I've always called them the Bluegill of the Sea of Cortez, and like Bluegill, pound for pound, one of the fighting-est fish around; and they taste good too!

 

[AZ ROB]

I had them cut into strips and thrown on the grill mmmmm tasted similar to lobster. make a really good mac and cheese with small pcs of trigger fish...

 

[bahiatrader]

If any fish has a "fishy" smell it has bugun to decay. It should be cooked immediately after catching or vacuum packed and frozen. I always buy a bag of ice to put in my fish cooler when I'm fishing. A buck for a bag of ice is well worth the investment. If a fish market has a "fishy" smell, I walk out and look elsewhere. I even smell fish before I buy it in the US. I was once served fishy smelling mahi mahi at Hooter's in 'Vegas. They did serve me a big sea bass steak which was delicious. The chef came out and apologized to us. I don't like rotten fish.

 

[bahiatrader]

I had them cut into strips and thrown on the grill mmmmm tasted similar to lobster. make a really good mac and cheese with small pcs of trigger fish...

I think that's why trigger fish is good with lobster sauce. The smell and taste are very similar. Good eating. I almost always stop and catch a few triggers for on-board fish tacos. I now have a flat propane stove that's safer to use. I once had a Coleman gasoline stove that caught on fire. It burned some of the upholstery on my engine cover before the frire extinguisher came out and the stove went over the side. A working fire extinguisher is a must on a boat.