ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ZACHERY DYKE
Spearo, fisherman, and passionate home cook. I enjoy harvesting my food from the ocean and sharing it with my friends and family. Follow along as I use species local to Florida to make incredible meals you can make at home.
What Is The Best Way To Cook Mangrove Snapper?
This is a question that I often get from people; in my personal opinion, I have always loved cooking smaller Mangrove Snapper whole. The biggest reason is that you get to enjoy several different cuts all at once, without the hassle of having to fillet a small fish. Some of these cuts you get to enjoy are the fillet, the ribs, the collars, and my personal favorite; the skin! Another awesome thing about cooking the fish whole is that you can still use the leftover bones to make a broth!
It had been awhile since I made a Whole Mangrove Snapper when I made this recipe because I hadn’t seen one that was the perfect size in awhile and if I’m being honest, I forgot how good it was! This particular recipe uses a homemade garlic citrus rub that really pairs nicely with the fish and rice. It’s something that is simple, but still has plenty of flavor. You can also add more or less garlic and salt to your liking, but I found the ratios used in the recipe below to be perfect!
How I Got This Mangrove Snapper
I got this particular Mangrove Snapper out spearfishing off my kayak at Dania Beach in South Florida. The sun had just come up and I was getting ready to get in the water when I noticed a lot more life at the spot than normal. Once I got in I noticed a whole bunch of Bermuda Chubs and Yellow Jacks circling the area with a few Snapper below them. It had been awhile since I had seen some decent sized Mangrove Snapper here so I quickly breathed up and made a drop.
Once I got down to the bottom, I positioned myself on top of the rock pile and patiently waited to see what would come in. At first, a huge school of Yellow Jacks came by, and then some Snapper started to show up. Once I finally saw the snapper that I wanted, I waited for him to cross the path of my gun before pulling the trigger. I didn’t want to spook him by repositioning my gun since he was so close, so I waited until he crossed paths with the way my gun was pointing. I aimed right at his head and took a shot that landed right behind the gill plate. He made a quick dash for the rocks but I was able to quickly secured him!
I hope you enjoy this Baked Whole Mangrove Snapper recipe!
