A recipe for sheephead, blackened with lots of seasoning, and drizzled with a homemade basil-lime cream. Perfect for a light yet tasteful meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 pound of sheephead fillets
•  1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 jalepeno pepper sliced into rings
• Lime slices for serving
• Avocado slices for serving

For the cream sauce

• 1/2 cup crema or sour cream
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• Zest from 1/2 a lime
• 1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan to medium-high heat.
2. Season the fillets with the cayenne, paprika, garlic, basil and salt and pepper.
3. Sear the tops of the fish in the hot pan for about 2 minutes, then flip and sear another 2 minutes. Add a splash of water and cover. Cook another few minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and moist within. Do not overcook or it can become dry.
4. While the fish is cooking, add the jalapeno slices to a hot pan with a splash of olive oil and crisp them up. It should take a couple minutes per side. Remove from heat.
5. Make your creamsauce by whisking together the sour cream, lime juice, lime zest and basil.
6. Drizzle the basil-lime cream over the whitefish and serve with crispy jalapeno slices, slices of lime, and a bit more lime zest over the top.
7. I like to serve mine with a few slices of avocado on the side.