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:

 

Last month we received a beautiful box of fish from Seafresh Quality Foods.  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.

 

I had used some of it previously when I made a lovely fish pie with it.  Today I decided to use the remainder of the salmon and give it somewhat of an Asian treatment. 

 

All Seafresh Salmon Fillets are centre cut fillets, meaning that you get the thick part of the fish, not the tail.   The skinless and boneless fillets are sourced from the clear waters of Scotland and the Faroe Islands., These high-quality centre cut fillets flake beautifully when cooked and taste amazing which makes them a favourite, always a popular fish. I am not fond of fish that comes from the tail area, especially Salmon, as it is usually a lot fishier tasting than the centre cuts.  These beautifully cut fillets fit exactly  with my tastes, and you can buy them at the moment on offer at a slight reduction. Bonus!

 

Salmon is one of those foods, like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, that everyone seems to like.  This fabulous Asian marinade that I used today provides a fresh twist to an old favourite!

 

The salmon fillets are first marinated in a fabulously tasty marinade . . .

 

Light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, light olive oil, orange juice, crushed red chillies along with freshly grated ginger root provide the Asian flavours.

 

They can be ready to cook after 1/2 an hour in the marinade, but I like to marinade the for a tad bit longer.  I wouldn't leave them in it for any longer than an hour though.

 

Once marinated you simply flash fry them in some hot olive oil, until golden brown and cooked through. About 3 to 4 minutes per side does the trick.  Remember that they will continue to cook when resting . . .

 

The remaining marinade it then  cooked and thickened into a glaze that you spoon over the finished salmon  . . .

 

Garnished with some fresh coriander leaf and spring onions, Todd enjoyed his with some Lime & Coriander Rice and glazed carrots  . . .

  

I enjoyed mine with cabbage and carrots.  We were both well pleased.  This is beautiful fish.

 

You can see how perfectly cooked it was, using my timings.  If you like it done a bit more you can leave it for a bit longer, but I would not add much to the timings.  Over-cooked dry salmon is about as palatable as overcooked anything! 

A few things about Seafresh:

  

Cod Cheeks.  Yep you read that right.  Cod Cheeks.  I adore Cod Cheeks.  To me they are every bit as delicious if not more so than scallops or lobster.  

Seriously. If you have never tried them, you have no idea what you are missing. 

  

Fish cheeks are a great delicacy.  A tiny pocket of meat, found just below the eyes,  they are tender and have a wonderful flavour.  Little nuggets of deliciousness.  

Most Chef's love them as they are boneless, skinless and have a beautiful texture which lends itself to a variety of cooking methods.

 

My favourite way of cooking them is to coat them in a well flavoured cornmeal crumb and then fry them in hot oil.

 

They take literally just a few minutes to cook and are so tender and delicious when done. 

 

And it is such a simple way to prepare them.  You just mix cornmeal (which is like a fine polenta) together with some simple seasonings . . .  cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. 

 

Don't freak out at the amount of pepper.  Its the perfect amount. Trust me on this.

 

You simply roll the cod cheeks in the cornmeal mixture and then fry.  It only takes 3 to 4 minutes per side for them to be done to perfection. 

 

Perfectly crisp and golden brown on the outside . . .  tender and succulent on the inside.  You can't ask for much better than that. 

 

Bite sized and filled with flavour.  I get mine from The Fish Society.  Their Cod Cheeks are sustainably sourced from Norwegian waters.  

 

Fish from the Fish Society comes straight to your door, with an overnight delivery, and it is beautifully packaged.  It arrives in perfect condition ready to throw right into your own freezer.  

All of their fish is frozen shortly after catching and is of a far superior quality than that which you can buy at the shops, which in all likelihood has already been frozen once, thawed and then presented to you on ice.  I have never been disappointed in any fish I have received from them and they have a huge range to choose from.

 

Today I served these lovely cheeks with some chips and homemade coleslaw . . .  just like you would be served in a restaurant back home in Nova Scotia.

 

In the old days, when Cod was plentiful, it would not have been unusual to find Cod Cheeks the size of your fist, but sadly Cod of that size are no longer very common.  

They are coming back however, and that is a good thing.  Of all the fishes in the sea, Cod is my favourite.

  

I tried to get a photograph so I could show you how tender and succulent these are inside.  Kind of hard because it is so white, so I guess you will have to take my word for  it.  These bite sized babies are delicious!

 

 

I called this down East Coleslaw because it is lightly sweetened with Maple Syrup.  Because I am a Diabetic I used a no sugar one, which isn't really Maple Syrup, but trust me when I tell you that it is very, very good nonetheless.  Even better with the real thing.

I really hope you want to try Cod Cheeks!  I think you will find that they are really very  wonderful, and highly underrated!  Give cheeks a chance!

 

Chicken, herbs and lemon are a wonderful trinity of taste, especially when you throw garlic into the mix!  I think you are really going to love this method of preparation I am sharing today! 

 

Not only are the flavours great, but the preparation is dead simple, and if you line your baking sheet with foil, no clean up of a dirty roasting pan either!

 

Today I have chosen to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which also adds to the succulence and flavours of the end result. You could certainly use skinless and boneless, but the cook time would need to be cut down considerably. I would say no longer than 20 minutes.

 

You create a basic and simple marinade using fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs and some light olive oil By that I mean light in colour, not extra virgin.  You can use EVOO if you want of course, but really I find it a waste to use a good one in cooking when it is better suited to and saved for something like a salad where you can really appreciate its finer qualities.

 

I have used fresh thyme and rosemary from the garden.  You can use any combination of fresh herbs which you enjoy, but thyme and rosemary go particularly well with garlic and lemon.   And chicken for that matter! 

 

The chicken pieces are seasoned and marinated in the marinade for at least an hour and up to four hours.  Obviously the longer you let it sit the more the marinade flavours will penetrate the meat. You don't want to marinade it for any less than an hour.

 

After that you put the chicken pieces (I include the marinade) skin side up on a baking sheet and scatter some bruised cloves of garlic in between them  . . .

 

Along with a quartered lemon.  The lemon roasts along side and imparts more flavour as does the garlic.

 

 

This really is lovely . . .  tender, juicy, delicious  . . .

 

I served Todd's with a Roasted New Potato Salad that I had created for another site and some vegetables.

 

Mine I served with some mashed swede and carrot, and cooked cabbage.  I also squeezed the juice from the roasted lemons over top.

 

Roasting takes away from the harshness of the lemon flesh, it really mellows out and it is truly delicious squeezed over top  . . .

 

Todd was happy. I was happy.  Goals were kept.

  

We were both in "Finger Lickin' Chicken" Heaven!

 

To cook the swede/carrot, I just boiled them together until tender,  and then I  mashed them up.  For the cabbage I melted a small knob of butter in a skillet and cooked it over a moderate heat, covered, adding a ladle full of the water from the cooking swede/carrot so that it didn't burn.  Oh boy was this ever good!

Enjoy!