Curried Mahi-Mahi with Coconut Rice
Whole Foods brand “Whole Catch” has good prices on frozen mahi-mahi, so I like to keep some in my freezer. As long as I plan in the morning to make it that night, I have time to thaw it, and it usually turns out pretty good.
When the fish is thawed, I cut it into equal sized chunks and marinate it for an hour or so. For this dish the marinade is:
- 1 TB peanut oil
- 2 TB coconut fat (from the top of an undisturbed can of coconut milk)
- 1/2 TB onion powder
- 1/2 TB garlic powder
- fresh ground black pepper
- Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- a pinch of paprika
- a pinch of ground coriander
- 2 TB Kecap Manis (known as Sweet Soy Sauce in Indonesia. You can buy it in Asian grocery stores. Here in Boulder we have a great on right on 28th St.)
I mixed up the marinade really well and tossed the fish to evenly coat. Then I let the fish marinate in the fridge for an hour or so while prepping the rest of the meal. When the rice was just about done, I started broiling the fish, flipping it once, for about 5 minutes on each side.
To make Coconut Rice:
Follow instructions for the rice of your choice, but add some coconut milk and fat to the water while it cooks. Super simple and delicious.
I also wilted some fresh spinach in a pan with some peanut oil and a little soy sauce for some greens on the side.
Sweet Lemon Curry Mahi Mahi
- At July 19, 2009
- By megan
- In Avocado, Baby Bok Choy, coconut, curry, Fish, mahi mahi, Savory Spice Shop
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Let’s hear it for Savory Spice Shop!
They make delicious spice mixes, right here in Colorado, and will ship them to you if you’re not close to a store.
For this meal, I made a veggie and mahi mahi coconut curry, served with basmati rice and sliced avocado.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound mahi mahi
- 1 small can coconut milk, undisturbed
- 3 TB Savory Spice Shop’s Vietnamese Sweet Lemon Curry spice mix
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 green pepper, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 red pepper, cut as the green pepper
- baby bok choy (an amount the size of a small head of lettuce)
- 1 Avocado
First, cut the mahi mahi into one-inch cubes. Make a spice-rub paste from 2 TB of the curry mix, 2 TB water, and 1/2 TB of the coconut creme scooped out of the undisturbed can of coconut milk. Undisturbed essentially means the can has been upright and not shaken for a day or more. All of the creme will be on the top, so you can scoop this out for a concentrated flavor.
Mix the 2 TB curry, 2 TB water, and 1/2 TB coconut creme into a paste and spread on the fish. Coat all of the cubes with this and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Next, chop the baby bok choy. Like always, separate the leafy part from the celery-like stalks. Add the celery-like part to a dry 4 quart sauce pan and start to cook on medium high heat. Add 2 TB water and the rest of the leafy bok choy. Cook this a couple minutes until it turns brighter green and starts to wilt. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and scrape out all remnant of the bok choy.
Put that pan back on the stove and add the rest of the coconut creme. On medium high heat, stir the creme for a minute or two and then add the carrot slices. Next, add the peppers and coat them in creme. Then, add the coconut “water” from the can, 1 can of extra water, one more TB of curry seasoning, and stir well. Let this cook a few minutes. Then add the fish and cook 5-7 minutes until it is just cooked through.
To serve: Put some prepared basmati rice in a bowl, top that with some of the bok choy, a few scoops of curry, and some sliced avocado. Enjoy.
Grilled Yellow Tail Snapper
Whole fish is more complicated than a pre-sliced fillet, but there is something very fun and rewarding about preparing an entire fish. This Yellow Tail Snapper was 1.6 pounds and cooks up like Red Snapper. I wanted to stick to the fish’s tropical roots by grilling it on a banana leaf, which I found at the local Chinese grocery store. A cedar plank will work well also. Snapper, in general, should not be grilled directly over a high heat, so it is best to have it on something, such as a banana leaf.
Rinse out the fish and make sure it is cleaned out to your liking. I smothered the inside with the following mixture:
4 cloves garlic, chopped
a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated on a ginger grater
1 TB of the thick cream from the top of an undisturbed can of coconut milk
I mashed the chopped garlic and grated ginger in a mortar and pestle to make a paste. Then I added the coconut cream and mixed well. Spread this inside the fish and stuff in any extra for maximum flavor. Place fish on wet banana leaf and grill on Medium high heat, 5-7 minutes on each side, or more, depending on the size of the fish. Pour some lemon juice over the fish every few minutes while it grills.
I served this with Coconut Basmati Rice (which is made just like plain basmati rice, but with a dollop of coconut cream from the top of the same un
disturbed can of coconut milk used for the fish added to the water while it cooks) and Spinach and Rainbow Chard in Coconut Sauce.
Spicy Broiled Mahi-Mahi and Coconut Spinach Sauté
- At April 14, 2009
- By megan
- In coconut, Fish, Veggie Sauté
- 0
One thing we always like to keep in the freezer is wild caught, fresh-frozen Mahi-Mahi. Whole Foods brand, “Whole Catch” has good cuts for a good price, and we thaw it out when we want something a little more substantial than our usual vegetarian fare. I made up a good spice rub that I like to use on Mahi-Mahi, and we enjoy this fish with Asian-style veggies.
Spice Rub
- Ground Ginger
- Onion Powder (NOT onion salt)
- Sea Salt
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Thyme
Add the ingredients in the order provided, adding equal parts ginger and onion, less salt, less paprika, as much cayenne as you like, and a pinch of thyme. Mix well.
Slice the fish in manageable pieces, rub with peanut oil, and roll in spice mixture. Broil a few minutes on one side, flip, broil another couple minutes, and you’re done. Super easy.
I like to sprinkle freshly fried garlic (chopped and fried in peanut oil until golden brown and crunchy) on top of the fish.
I served this with a coconut veggie sauté.
Ingredients
- Yellow Onion
- Small Can Coconut Milk (Thai Kitchen is good)
- Peanut Oil
- Carrots, peeled and chopped in rounds
- Red Pepper, sliced as you like
- Fresh Spinach
- Soy Sauce
Sauté the onion in some of the coconut fat from the top of the can of coconut milk. If you leave the can undisturbed for a while (over night), there will be a thick, creamy layer of coconut fat on top and a clear, watery-liquid below. Scoop out some of the fat and use it to sauté the onions. Add a little peanut oil, the carrots, red pepper, and then the rest of the coconut fat. Next add a nice splash of soy sauce, the spinach, and the coconut water. Cook until spinach wilts.
The smooth, sweet flavor of coconut balances out the spicy fish. Serve with whole grain, brown rice.
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