Bimini Sands Mutton snapper recipe

PHOTO CREDIT: Jillian Morris.

What are you going to do with all that mutton snapper you’re catching in The Bahamas (or elsewhere)? Either cook it up yourself, or head on over to Bimini Sands resort and ask Chef Lightbourne to prepare you a tasty treat!

Mutton snapper is a tasty fish that anglers catch off Bimini in the Bahamas in early summer, particularly right before and after a full moon. In July, a guest of Bimini Sands Resort & Marina brought a large mutton snapper he had caught from his boat that day to the resort’s Bimini Twist Restaurant and asked the chef to cook it for him and his friends to enjoy. Here is the recipe Chef Edison Lightborne created for the occasion.

Full Moon Mutton Snapper

  • 1 large whole, fresh-caught mutton snapper, cleaned, boned and scaled
  • 4 limes
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • Flour
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3 oz. garlic butter
  • Black pepper to taste

Crush Scotch Bonnet pepper and salt together in small bowl. Season fish with resulting mixture and the juice of three limes, and let marinate for 10 minutes. Coat cleaned snapper with flour and deep fry for 10 minutes or until done. Place fish on platter. In a small saucepan, sauté onion in garlic butter. Squeeze fresh juice from remaining lime onto sautéed onion, season with black pepper, and arrange onions on fish. Garnish with orchids and serve.

Alternative: Lime Butter Sauce

  • 1 qt. heavy cream
  • 3 oz. garlic butter
  • 1 Tbsp. fish base
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 limes
  • Roux

Juice limes and mix juice with all other ingredients in a saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil and let thicken. Spoon onto cooked fish and serve.

Serves up to 6