Blowfish tails recipe: a springtime Greenmarket discovery

The seafood display at our Bay Ridge seasonal Greenmarket (Walgreens parking lot at 95th St and 3rd Ave) really caught my eye this past weekend. It was beautifully arranged and much more varied than usual. I noticed some appealing-looking little fish cuts in one corner and learned they were blowfish tails, and only available for a limited time. The guy behind the table gave me 3 to try and on the walk home I daydreamed about the spices I would use on them.

As soon as we got home I set to work sautéing several small bulbs of fresh spring garlic in plenty of grass-fed ghee. Then I added the tails and sprinkled on sea salt, ground ginger, cumin, and just a tiny dash of cayenne powder. According to the fish vendor's instructions I turned the tails once during cooking, and of course seasoned the other side as well. It as clear when they were done: the color of the fish had changed and there was a nice crust.

The results: unbelievably delicious! My mouth is watering as I type this and I can hardly wait to buy more tomorrow.