Triggerfish – How to Cook It, Information and Characteristics

The triggerfish, also known as pejepuerco, ballistae, suckling fish or drum fish is one of the most beautiful colored fish there is; they generally have delicate colored stripes and spots. They are native to the warm coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Angola to the English Channel, the Pacific and the Mediterranean Sea.

The average size that this fish reaches is about 20 cm, up to about 90 cm, approximately. Its body is rounded and flat, with a conspicuous anterior dorsal fin with two powerful spines for defense. Thanks to these curious characteristics, in some places they call it the “trigger fish”, because it uses its spines as a kind of trigger to defend itself from predators that want to get it out of a safe hole.

They have cute little eyes, located on top of their big head, which can move independently like a chameleon’s. Its skin is quite hard and resistant, almost like a shell, with millions of diamond-shaped scales. It also has a kind of snout with fearsome sharp teeth that you will not want to tempt.

The triggerfish is beautiful and delicious

Some people like to keep these beautiful fish in aquariums and enjoy their special personality. These fish are rather solitary in the wild and feed on small invertebrates and algae. As house pets, they may also feed on algae, but generally maintain a healthy diet by consuming special dry fish food.

In the wild, they lay their eggs in holes and take care of them until the fish hatch. However, although it is not an aggressive fish most of the time, some species can be tenacious in defending their eggs from predators or divers, and also change their moods a lot in the breeding season. However, in captivity they are usually much calmer.

Another attribute of this fish is its extraordinary flavor. Many people love to have triggerfish on their plates and not in their aquariums. Its high content of proteins and essential oils such as omega 3, make it a rich and healthy option to enjoy in different preparations and dishes.

If you are interested in knowing a little more about how to cook this delicious and nutritious fish, continue reading this post and you will learn some tricks to surprise everyone with delicious recipes that you can include in your menu for special occasions from now on.

Instructions for Triggerfish – cook it, Information and Characteristics

Baked

1. Preheat your oven to about 350° F.
2. Cover a tray with olive oil to prevent the fish from sticking.
3. Place the whole fish, previously scaled.
4. Bathe the fish with lemon juice and onion powder.
5. Add salt and pepper to your liking.
6. Put the tray in the oven and leave it for 10 minutes.
7. After that time, turn the fish over carefully so that it does not break.
8. Then bake it for another 10 minutes.
9. If you want to bake it in fillets, you only have to leave them seven minutes on each side.
10. If you cut the fillets too thin, they will cook faster, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them while they’re in the oven so they don’t dry out too much or burn.
11. When you notice that they look opaque and want to crumble, they are well cooked and ready to serve.
12. You can accompany it with white rice and a delicious raw avocado salad.
13. Remember to serve it very hot.

Grilled

1. Preheat the grill, making the firebrands redden.
2. Put oil on the grill and fish with a brush so it doesn’t stick.
3. You can put the fish whole or in fillets, but the fillets should be somewhat thick.
4. Sprinkle over them with a mixture of lemon juice, red pepper, and salt and sesame oil.
5. Grill the fish for about three minutes.
6. Then, turn it over and spray it again with some of the same seasoning mix.
7. Leave it on the grill for about three more minutes and it’s done.
8. As a companion you can use white rice with fried or roasted green plantain.

Fried

1. Scramble the two eggs in a bowl with the salt and pepper. Mix them well with the soy sauce and onion powder with a whisk or fork.
2. Mix the dry flour with the parsley and place it on a tray.
3. You can cut the fish fillets into square pieces or slices, as you prefer.
4. Carefully dip each piece into the seasoned egg mixture.
5. Then, cover the fillets with flour by placing them on the tray from side to side.
6. You should already have 4 cups of sunflower oil preheated in a deep skillet over high heat.
7. Place each fillet, one by one, in the pan for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned to your liking.
8. Remove the fish from the heat when it is ready, placing it on a plate covered with paper napkins, so that the excess oil drains off.
9. You can serve it with raw coleslaw or with lettuce and tomato. In addition, it is delicious to accompany it with a citrus drink such as orange or pineapple juice.

Grilled

1. Preheat the griddle and cover it with a little oil so the fish doesn’t stick.
2. Season the fish fillets with crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Leave it on the griddle for about 4 minutes on each side.
4. When serving, sprinkle some chopped parsley on top.
5. This is a delicious recipe for someone who wants to go on a high protein diet. Therefore, we recommend accompanying it with grilled zucchini and aborigines. 
6. Remember that eating a balanced diet can be delicious too.

Stew

1. To prepare a triggerfish stew, the first thing you have to do is sauté a finely julienned white onion in sesame oil.
2. Then chop a green pepper, a red pepper and a yellow pepper into very fine julienne strips; to precede to sauté them together with the onion, when it is almost caramelized.
3. While the vegetables are being sautéed, a mixture of Chinese salt, pepper, curry powder, sugar and soy sauce should be prepared.
4. In this mixture, you will first submerge the fish, either whole or in fillets, for an hour.
5. Next, cut the potatoes into thick slices and sauté them with the peppers and onion.
6. If you are going to cook the fish in fillets, sauté the chopped bacon together with the other vegetables.
7. If you are cooking the whole fish, insert the whole pancetta strips into the fish.
8. Finally, place the fish next to the sautéed vegetables and let it cook over low heat for about 10minutes, covering the pan.
9. You can check from time to time how the cooking is going by lifting the lid. If you like it rather dry, you can leave it longer, but if you prefer it to be more tender you can take it out earlier.
10. A special option, if you like thick sauce, mix in a separate cup 60 ml of warm water or fish broth with a tablespoon of corn and add it to the stew when it has been cooking for about 5 minutes.

What do you need for Triggerfish – cook it, Information and Characteristics?

• Squid or shrimp as bait to catch it.
• Vinyl’s with plumb heads, as lures.
• A fly rod.
• A boat.
• A container to store it.
• Approximately 30 euros to buy a crossbow specimen in the market.
• To cook it baked: olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, white pepper, onion powder.
• To cook it on the grill: coarse sea salt, red pepper, olive oil, and sesame oil and lemon juice.
• To cook it fried: sunflower oil, common salt, black pepper, two eggs, soy sauce, parsley powder, onion powder, wheat flour.
• To cook it on the grill: olive oil, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, a corvette, an aborigine.
• To cook it stewed: sesame oil, two potatoes, a red pepper, a green pepper, a yellow pepper, an onion, pepper, Chinese salt, a tbsp. of curry, two strips of bacon, a point of sugar, fish broth, water, cornstarch and soy sauce.

Tips for Triggerfish – cooking it, Information and Characteristics

In many restaurants they use this delicious fish in fillets and stews in its different preparations because it is one of the favorite meats in certain places in Spain such as Aragon. Among the inhabitants of the different regions it is known by its different names such as drum fish in Sambuca, Rota or Chip Iona, the mule fish in Cádiz and in Coil as the pig fish.

The fresh triggerfish is definitely appreciated for its delicious flavor and because its meat has almost no bones. Generally, people prefer to eat it the same day they catch it and a kilo of its meat is around 16 euros.

Triggerfish fishing is very easy and relaxing, because it is quite voracious for any bait you present to it. In addition, the crossbow never walks alone, almost always swims in small groups. Therefore, as we said, it is highly appreciated in the good table, for this reason, fishing is made a double enjoyment when tasting it.