With California sheepshead season just starting and cod opener just around the corner, we wanted to give everyone an amazing way to prepare and eat their fresh catch. Known by some as the “poor man’s lobster,” sheepshead is, in my opinion, one of the tastiest local species, with absolutely nothing inferior to its flavor profile. Mild, firm and slightly sweet, it can be prepared in seemingly endless ways, making it the centerpiece of many delicious recipes. This recipe combines Chipotle Sheepshead Ceviche with Coronado Brewing Salty Crew Blonde Ale. You won’t be disappointed.
My girlfriend Caroline and I were enjoying a half day of local fishing when we came across a lovely sheepshead honey hole feeding on everything from small jigs to large sardines. This is somewhat unusual as sheepshead tend to peck at their baits and can be difficult to hook on anything other than small baits such as shrimp or squid. We released most of the fish, but decided to keep two for dinner, with the intention of making some fresh ceviche.
Much of sheepshead’s flavor profile comes from its diet. This includes many of the most expensive items on a seafood restaurant menu, such as crustaceans, shellfish, and squid. Fish is great when cooked simply, perhaps just sautéed in butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Sheepshead is also great for ceviche. This is because the meat is very tough and able to maintain its shape even after hours of soaking and cooking in lemon and lime juice.
Ceviche is one of the best-known and most respected Latin seafood recipes, and is a favorite preparation for many game fish in Southern California. In its simplest form, ceviche involves cooking fish in a citrus base for a set amount of time, “cooking” the fish with citrus acid. How ceviche is made varies from country to country and depends on personal preference. It can include everything from shrimp and fish to fruit and seeds, but the basics of most recipes are tomatoes, coriander, onions, and selected ingredients that provide an element of pungency or spice.
Below is one of my favorite ceviche recipes, Chipotle Sheepshead Ceviche. Just add some chipotle peppers and a touch of spiciness from the sauce. This, of course, goes surprisingly well with chilled cerveza. In this case, it’s our favorite boat beer, Coronado Brewing’s Salty Crew Blonde Ale. These high-quality ingredients, paired with freshly caught sheepshead (you can substitute most other white fish) and a cold beer, are sure to become a favorite throughout spring and summer.
