Sheepshead is a strange name (Archosargus probatocephalus is its official name) for a strange fish. Nevertheless they’re a sought after fish for their uniqueness and for their taste.
Sheepsheads are great winter fishing in the New Orleans area, and provide a fun and challenging catch for even the more seasoned angler. They are unique-looking fish, with wide, gray, vertical stripes on their compact body, but their most notable feature is their uniquely shaped stubby teeth.
The sheepsheads typically dine on shellfish such as crab and oyster, so their flesh tends to take on a similar flavor. Here’s one of our favorite ways to cook our fresh caught sheepshead. This is a great sheepshead recipe to put together on a weeknight. It’s healthy and a fun crowd pleaser that serves four people.
Baked Lemon Sheepshead Ingredients:
- 2 lbs sheepshead fillets
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
- Cajun seasoning to taste (We like Tony’s Chacheres)
- olive oil
Directions for making baked lemon sheepshead:
- The night before place sheepshead fillets in a resalable bag and mix the Cajun seasoning and lemon juice in it. Let the sheepshead fillets marinate all night or for at least a minimum of 4 hours before preparing.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease the foil with olive oil. Once this is done, place the marinated fillets on a baking sheet on top of the aluminum foil.
- Gently brush the melted butter on top of the sheepshead fillets with a pastry brush.
- Carefully chop up onions, garlic, fresh parsley, and fresh dill.
- Place all the onions and parsley around the fillets and the fresh dill on top. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of the fillets.
- Cover your sheepshead with another piece of aluminum foil making a small covering over the fillets to ensure they will keep the moisture in and not dry out.
- Place the fish on the oven’s top rack. Cook the sheepshead fillets for 12 minutes or until cooked*.
*You can tell sheepshead is cooked through all the way if you stick a butter knife through the filet and feel no resistance.
This recipe is a family favorite, and we love serving it up with some roasted potatoes and steamed green beans. If you want to try and catch your own sheepshead to serve your family, contact us today.
