A few weeks ago I wrote about Les Moules Beurre Blanc and how that dish always reminds me of summer. You know what else reminds me of summer? The beach. Each year my family and I take a trip to a warm tropical beach to ride the waves, soak up some sun and of course…stuff our faces with as much fresh fruit and fish as is humanly possible.
One of my favorite memories of doing just this was on a beautiful island in the Caribbean. During that trip, my family and I fished often, climbed trees to pick fruit and bartered with the locals for other necessities. It was an incredible experience not only because of the people we met, but because I really was able to teach my children the satisfaction that comes from finding and sourcing your own food.
While we won’t be making our yearly tropical trek this year, it doesn’t mean that we can’t reminisce through one of our favorite dishes, Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa. Also known as Dolphin (not to be confused with the mammal) or Dorado, Mahi Mahi is a delicious fish because it is firm-fleshed, lean, sweet and tender. It is also fast and difficult to catch!
Serve this recipe over a bed of rice for a taste of the tropics.
Happy Cooking!
Chef Stephane
Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
For the Fish
- 4 to 6 Mahi Mahi filets (if frozen, thaw and pat-dry before cooking)
- ¼ cup of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp of granulated or fresh minced garlic
- ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and cracked pepper
For the Salsa
- 1 ripe mango. Peeled, pitted and diced
- ¼ cup of red onion. Peeled and finely diced
- 1 ripe avocado. Peeled, pitted and diced
- 1 small tomato. Diced and seeds removed
- ½ cup of fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp of lemon juice
- 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
- Dash of salt and cracked pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven at 425 degrees.
- One very important step is to build your salsa before cooking the fish. This will give it time to cool in the refrigerator and allow the flavors to mix and develop together.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together and gently mix with 2 soup spoons. Once you have reached a well-rounded medley, set in fridge uncovered and ready to serve when the fish is done.
- Rinse the fillets and pat them dry with a few sheets of paper towels. Brush an oven deep baking dish with half the olive oil and lay the fish down. No particular order on this, just make sure they have a bit a space in between them.
- Sprinkle the salt & pepper, lemon juice and the remainder of the olive oil equally. As an option, you can add some fresh herbs such as rosemary or basil.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 425. Fish should be opaque and flaky when it is done.
- Remove from oven and serve with the salsa.
Suggestions for sides: Basmati or brown rice and asparagus.