How Does Bonefish Taste and How to Cook It Better

For fish anglers, bonefish is love. Found near the equator and all over the tropical region, it is one of the most popular sport fish. In places like the Bahamas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, they even have a popular sport called bonefishing.

Bonefish is a medium-sized saltwater fish that feeds in shallow water. Since they wade in shallow waters, it’s easier to catch them through a shallow-draft boat. There are nine different species of bonefish, out of which three are found in the Atlantic Ocean while six in the Pacific Ocean. Despite their availability, many people still wonder, “Are bonefish good to eat?”

That may be because bonefish are elusive and highly unpredictable. This quality attracts fly anglers. Some also call them ‘grey ghosts’ due to their smoky silver appearance. As they are smart, quick, and amazingly speedy, it’s quite hard to catch them. Hence, you need great skill and knowledge before fishing a bonefish.

Bonefish is eaten in places like the Bahamas, Mexico, etc., while in other parts, it is released after catching.

Are Bonefish Good to Eat?

Bonefish tastes great but has a high number of bones. The number of bones might be intimidating for many, especially when it keeps coming into your mouth. However, if you take out the meat and be careful with the bones, you will enjoy it and love the taste.

It’s popular in Mexico and Central America, where people use bonefish meat in fish cakes, dumplings, stews, or several other dishes. People in the Bahamas bake the whole bonefish. So, if you ask, “Are bonefish food to eat?” the answer would depend on how to cook them.

How to Cook Bonefish?

Catching bonefish requires a lot of patience and skill, so is their cleaning and preparation.
Preparation

* First, you need to make a cut in the stomach to remove all the innards. Rinse it well to wash off all the traces of blood.
* Scrap off its scales by using a knife starting from tail to head. In case you want to fillet, leave the scales as it will make it more challenging to separate the fish.
* Hold the tail and then take out the flesh from the bones using a spoon.
* Make sure you pick out all the bones that have been left in the flesh.

Cooking

There are two main preparations for bonefish: first, to eat it in raw form as ceviche, sushi, or poke. The second way is cooking it, either by deep-frying or baking. You can also bake the whole fish. But in whole fish preparation, you have to deal with bones in every bite. If you don’t like bones, you can use the flesh you scraped off from your fish to make deep-fried fish patties. Or, else bake the fillets with some seasoning and sauce.

You can also grill the fish fillet and eat it like a snack with your friends after a long day of fishing. To jazz it up, pair it with some grilled vegetables, zucchini rounds, or grilled corn on the cob. So, enjoy your bonefish the way you like to eat. No matter how you cook it, it will make for a sumptuous platter.