Article by Christine Budd
Ginger Glazed Mahi
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions:
In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.
Creole Cast Iron
Grouper
Ingredients:
1 lb grouper
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves pressed garlic or minced
1 tablespoon Emeril’s Creole Seasoning (see recipe below) or your favorite creole seasoning
1–2 TB finely grated Parmesan cheese
Emeril’s Creole Seasoning:
2 1/2 TB paprika
2 TB salt
2 TB garlic powder
1 TB black pepper
1 TB onion powder
1 TB cayenne
1 TB dried oregano
1 TB dried thyme
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cast iron skillet in oven while preheating. (If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, just use a roasting pan, but don’t preheat the pan)
In a small bowl mix together oil, garlic, 2 -3 tablespoons of the seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Brush the fish generously with mixture and place in hot skillet (be careful and don’t forget to use an oven mitt!!). Place skillet and fish back into oven. Cook for about 12-15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish, until fish is translucent and flaky.
Easy Perfect Mahi Mahi Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Lemon Garlic Mixture:
2 Tablespoons salted butter, softened to room temp
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped chives or parsley
2 Tablespoons garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon juice from fresh lemon
1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel
For the Fish:
2 TB olive oil
4 (1-inch thick each) mahi-mahi fillets, 4 oz. each
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F with rack on middle position. In a small pan, combine all lemon garlic mixture ingredients and stir to fully combine. Set aside.
Use paper towels to pat dry all excess moisture from the fish fillets. This step is important, so be sure to pat off as much moisture as you can.
Evenly sprinkle both sides of fillets with pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside. In a large, oven-proof pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Once oil is sizzling hot, add the fish fillets to pan and let cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes (do not move fish around much.) Carefully flip fish fillets over to the other side, turn stove burner off, and immediately transfer pan into already-hot oven. Let fish roast at 400F about 5 minutes or just until the top is golden and center is just cooked through. Take care not to overcook.
A minute before fish is done cooking in oven, cook small pan of prepared lemon-garlic mixture over medium high heat, constantly stirring, just until melted and bubbly. Immediately turn heat off and pour mixture over the cooked fish. Be sure to pour on any juices from the fish pan as well.
PAN ROASTED COBIA WITH DOUBLE BASIL PESTO
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cobia steaks, cleaned of all dark meat
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, zested
2 cups sweet basil
1 cup Thai basil
1/4 cup chives
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup pistachios (toasted)
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 garlic cloves
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400*. Preheat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add 2 T oil and heat until oil begins to shimmer. Sprinkle both sides of fish liberally with salt and pepper. Place fish in hot pan and DO NOT touch it for a couple of minutes. Once it has cooked for 2-3 min, gently nudge one of the steaks and if it releases from the pan, flip the steaks over. If it doesn’t move, let them cook a bit longer, checking to see if they release every min or so. They should have a nice crust on the cooked side now.
Once you have flipped the fish, place the pan in the preheated oven and roast for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your steaks.
Meanwhile, combine all the herbs, nuts, lemon juice and zest, garlic, red pepper and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Pulse to chop up the herbs, then begin to drizzle in the oil until a nice thick sauce consistency is reached. Pour into a dish and stir in the parm if using. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or lemon as needed.
Remove fish to a plate, sprinkle with lemon zest and squeeze a bit of lemon juice over each. Top with pesto.
*I serve with green beans, baby carrots, and squash that I steam in the microwave for a few minutes. Then I season them with salt, pepper, and a clove of minced garlic and toss them in with the fish about the last 5 min of roasting. Just don’t cover the fish up, or you’ll lose the crust on top. push the fish to the side of the pan and put the veggies on the other side. You can top the veggies with some of the leftover pesto. I put both the veggies and the fish on top of “Cauliflower Rice.” (Basically just mince some onion and garlic and saute with a bit of olive oil, then add in cauliflower that has been pulsed in the food processor til resembles rice, cook 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.).
Grilled King Fish Fillets
Ingredients:
6 kingfish fillets
1 cup - buttermilk, or plain milk
2 teaspoons - Essence seasoning, or similar Cajun fish seasoning
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Place kingfish fillets in plastic bag with buttermilk (or plain milk), Essence 0r Cajun seasoning, and some salt and pepper. Allow to marinade in fridge for 30-60 minutes (milk will help remove some of the “fishy” flavor from the fillets).
Heat grill to medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray; then place fillets on grill and cook 5-7 minutes per side (depending on thickness of fillets) until lightly browned and cooked through.
Tastes delicious served as is or add some zest by serving with salsa or butter sauce.
Sea Bass with Lemon Caper Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 lb. sea bass fillets, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions:
In shallow dish, stir flour, salt and pepper. Coat fish pieces in flour mixture (reserve remaining flour mixture). In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place coated fish in oil. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until fish flakes easily with fork; remove from heat. Lift fish from skillet to serving platter with slotted spatula (do not discard drippings); keep warm.
Heat skillet (with drippings) over medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon reserved flour mixture; cook and stir 30 seconds. Stir in wine: cook about 30 seconds or until thickened and slightly reduced. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in capers.
Serve sauce over fish; sprinkle with parsley.
