Mahi Mahi, also known as the Dorado or Dolphin fish is a beautiful fish that is not only sustainable but very easy to cook.  It has a firm white flesh that is fairly mild in flavour.  This makes it quite adaptable, hearty enough to grill and yet firm enough to sear, glaze, fry, etc.  making it very versatile. Don't confuse it with the common Dolphin.  This is not Flipper.  Don't worry. Far from being even closely related to its namesake Mahi Mahi is highly sustainable, responsibly fished and harvested due to strong regulations.  They spawn and grow rapidly, which helps to keep their population stable. 

 

The people at Seafresh recently sent me some to try. I was quite excited at the opportunity to try a new fish I had never tried before!  I decided to give it a somewhat simple treatment.  I created a sweet and savoury rub to coat it with and then simply pan seared it  until it was nicely blackened on the outside, but perfectly cooked on the inside.

 

I had to do some research on the fish first so that I knew how to cook it properly.  I learnt a lot about it and about what it might taste like. Having never tasted it before I was flying in the dark here! 

 

It is a carnivorous fish which gathers in schools which mostly eat forage fish.   The word Mahi (Hawaiian) means strong and these fish are strong and fast swimmers.  

They are brightly coloured and mostly found in Pacific waters, although they can also be found in the Atlantic.

 

They are considered to be highly nutritious and rich in Iron and low-fat protein. Low in sodium and rich in Omega-3, which not only are good for your heart but also help to combat cancer. 

 

It is also a great source of essential minerals and important B vitamins, so altogether it can be considered a fairly healthy fish to eat.  It is however high in cholesterol so if you are watching yours, you will still want to consume it in moderation.

 

I was told that it had a fairly mild flavour  . . .  not a "strong fishy" flavour.  I am not fond of overly fishy flavoured fish.  I can just about tolerate Salmon.  

So what did it taste like?  

It was definitely not benign in flavour like cod, it was probably more like Halibut, so not unpleasant at all.

  

I was quite surprised that the flesh turned out as white as it did when cooked.  It was quite darkish raw so I expected it to cook dark, but it was not dark in the least!

 

Other than that searing rub I put onto it  . . .  the interior flesh was cream-coloured when cooked . . .

 

It had a very firm texture, which I think would make it excellent for using in Fish Tacos, or for grilling on the BBQ.

 

I am thinking it would also be lovely stir fried . . .

 

I had made a lime and honey dressed coleslaw to go with it, almost like a pickle, except fresher . . .

  

It went very well.  I would highly recommend.  I can't wait to try it again one day! 

 

Here is the recipe for the sweet and tangy coleslaw which I made to serve with the fish.  It went down a real treat. Do beware however it is more like a pickle and will not keep well, so whilst you can prep the vegetables ahead of time, you shouldn't dress them until just prior to serving.

 

Here you can see how creamy white the flesh actually was when it was cooked, a complete contrast to what I had expected when I first saw this fish raw. Seafresh is an on line fish monger, which sells quality fish, seafood, poultry and meat.  If you can recall, I was very impressed with both their product and their delivery service!  There was absolutely nothing that I could fault with any of it. Feel free to read about my experience here. Many thanks to Seafresh for sending me this Mahi Mahi to try.  There doesn't appear to be any  Mahi Mahi available on their page at the moment,but keep checking back to their website to see when it becomes available again.

 

A few things about Seafresh:

 

I received some beautiful Lemon Sole Fillets recently from Seafresh, the online fish monger.  I adore sole. It is one of my favourite cuts of fish.  It is so delicate and has such a beautiful flavour. The sole from Seafresh is especially tasty.  Lemon sole is a wonderfully tasty alternative to Dover Sole, which is of course the King of Soles!  I find it just as enjoyable in my opinion! 

 

The Lemon sole was part of a beautiful box of fish I received last week from Seafresh Quality Foods.  Seafresh sells quality fish, seafood, poultry and meat. I have been very impressed with both their product and their delivery service in the past!  There was absolutely nothing that I could fault with any of it, and I still cannot. Feel free to read about my experience here. 

 

The Lemon Sole comes in a 1KG package, skin on, with there being 4 to 5 fillets per package.  I skinned it, which is very easily done.  I am not a person who is that fond of eating fish skin, but some people love it. If you are like me you can find a video on how to do that here.  

 

A sharp knife is all you need. Of course you can also cook it with the skin on.  Its all a matter of preference. 

 

I wanted to give it a very simple treatment of cooking today. Nothing fancy as I really wanted to highlight the delicate flavours of this beautiful fish.

 

Back in Canada I used to be able to buy bread crumbed fillets of sole from time to time and they were gorgeous.  There is something incredibly delicious about mixing those two completely different textures  . . . the soft perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured fish  . . .  crisp buttery bread crumbs . . . sigh  . . .

 

Today I opted to make the crisp buttery breadcrumbs a separate entity on their own . . . a garnish of sorts . . . but no less delightful or tasty.  Just crumb a thick slice of bread into coarse crumbs and then fry them in butter until lovely and crisp . . .  and golden brown . . .

 

I treated the fish with a very light hand.  I seasoned it simply with fine sea salt and coarse black pepper and then I dusted it very lightly with some plain flour . . .

 

I then pan fried it until it was golden on both sides in a mix of olive oil and butter  . . . it doesn't take very long . . .

 

Two minutes per side does the job.  There is nothing worse than dried out, over-cooked fish.  These were  . . .  dare I say it  . . .  pure perfection. 

 

I served each fillet with a sprinkle of those buttery crisp bread crumbs and some wedges of lemon for squeezing  . . .

 

Accompanied with an assortment of fresh garden vegetables  . . .

 

Runner Beans from our own garden, and some fresh carrots dressed with dill butter   . .  . and for Todd a serving of brown rice on the side . . . 

  

This was a beautiful meal . . .  it really was the perfect way to begin our week. 

  

The fish would have been beautiful all on its own without the crumbs . . .  but those crumbs added a really delicious touch that we both enjoyed very much.  A little bit of something you love really does you a world of good.

 

We really have been spoiled lately with the opportunity to eat some lovely fish.  Fish is so good for you and we both love it. 

 

At the weekend Todd had an additional treat of a Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwich using some of the Cooked Salad Prawns from Seafresh.  He was in Prawn Sandwich Heaven.  The prawns were firm, pink and juicy.  I thawed some of them and then mixed them with some good mayo and bit of sour cream, finely chopped celery, salt, pepper and some chopped fresh dill. He thoroughly enjoyed it.  Its not every day I make him this kind of a sandwich, so it was a real treat!  These lovely cooked prawns are also very good in salads! 

A few things about Seafresh: