Today foodvox will be cuddling up with some nice mahi-mahi for dinner.
First you must catch your rabbit mahi-mahi and as with most things there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. For most of us without large fishing boats which we could jump on and heave-ho for a day on the open sea the right way would be to talk to whomever is at the fish counter. This can be a challenging task at times, when the fish counter happens to be at a place similar to my local Kroeger, where the fish looks daunted and limp and often so do the college-aged kids left in charge of it. Most of the vast store of knowledge about fish to be found at these sorts of fish counters can be found in the form of silly little cardboard index cards printed with cute recipes with photos. No, you will not find the wisdom of the ages here, but as someone once said “Understanding begins with dialogue” so you may as well begin one.
Hopefully you’ll be lucky enough to find mahi-mahi at the counter in reasonably fresh condition. Ask if they know how it was caught. If they don’t know, ask them if they could ask their manager or if the manager is not there (funny how often they aren’t!) ask them to take a look in the spec books or receiving log. Oh yes they will flounder and growl and look as if the weight of the world has been placed upon them at your asking these things of them. But honestly who gives a sh*t. Maybe they’ll learn something or alternately maybe they’ll decide to get a job at The Dollar Tree – and good riddance.
Mahi-mahi gained widespread popularity as a fish for the table within the time-span of the existence of the word “foodie”. It is a fish popularized by chefs in upscale restaurants and once was a fish for the aspirational – but that is no longer the case. It still holds style and substance, mahi-mahi – but now is widely available and fairly affordable in general.
Wiki has a good piece on mahi-mahi.
When they are removed from the water, the fish often change between several colors (this being the reason for their name in Spanish Dorado Maverikos), finally fading to a muted yellow-grey upon death.
Mahi-mahi is one of the fastest-growing fish. They are fast swimmers as well, with a top swimming speed of 50 knots. Mahi-mahi spawn in warm ocean currents throughout much of the year, and its young are commonly found in sargassum weed.
Mahi-mahi are carnivorous, feeding on flying fish, crabs, squid, mackerel, and other small fish. They have also been known to eat zooplankton and crustaceans. Mahi-mahi has a chicken-like taste and texture, but some restaurants will substitute a soft flaky white fish instead of real Mahi-mahi because it is cheaper. According to Seafood Watch, imported Mahi-mahi is currently on the list of fish that American consumers, who are sustainability minded, should avoid. Domestic Mahi-mahi, however, is considered acceptable by both Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute. It is recommended to consume the pole- and troll-caught species of this fish, as it limits bycatch of other animals.
Now to the recipe.
Mahi-mahi takes to pairing well with flavors that add spark to its basic personality. Today we’re going to cuddle up to the Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple-Mango Salsa, Green Rice and Black Beans in this excellent recipe.
Granted, by the time you’ve caught your fish and gathered your groceries it may be more than you want to do on a fine day like today to approach this recipe. In this case, mahi mahi takes well to a quick blackening with cajun spices then a turn under the broiler or on the grill – the other recipe can wait till another weekend.
Mahi-mahi is great to cuddle with.
