# Mahi Mahi Question ???



## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Been experimenting making mahi mahi with a pistachio crust to go with fresh pineapple salsa.

Tried frying it, which sort of worked, except the coating browns up too quickly. Didn't actually burn, but had the appearance of same. Looked as if I'd made blackened fish, which is not the effect I want. 

I'm wondering if this wouldn't work better baked? Anyone got a suggestion as to time and specific approach?

I'm thinking of coating the fish the same way (soaked in milk, then flour dusted, dipped in egg wash, then coated with ground pistachios), maybe spraying lightly with EVOO, then baking at, what? 375 for 15-20 minutes? 

Any suggestions cheerfully accepted.


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## jhunter90 (Apr 11, 2007)

You could maybe try cooking the fish on a cedar or maple plank on the grill. It would give it a sweet, spicy, smoked flavor and cover with foil if the crust starts to burn before the fish is done. Planking on the grill is done at med-low heat usually skin-on is best. You could always add the ground pistachio to the salsa. Good luck.


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## castironchef (Oct 10, 2005)

I had a WONDERFUL dish a couple of months ago that still is one of the best fish dishes I've had. And I eat fish many times per week.

Salmon fillet, covered in a pistachio pesto and baked in a philo crust. It was flavorful and the inside was like succulent jelly. Sliced in two and served on a mixed greens and veggies salad in a balsamic vinagrette, it was a great dish.

No reason why that wouldn't work with mahi-mahi.


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## munchers (Apr 4, 2007)

Kyheirloomer,
Iv never head of mahi mahi, what is that..Savoury im thinking, a pastry??? Really interisted now.


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## fadeaway (Apr 11, 2007)

Mahi-mahi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

i have a recipe for it we did it for a special not 2 weeks ago...shame i cant remember...ill find out and get back to ya.
u could try browning in the pan first then finishing it off in the oven.


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## joyfull (May 24, 2006)

MAHI-MAHI


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Munchers,

Mahi mahi is a fish. It's actually the dolphin fish, but has a bunch of other names to keep people from confusing it with dolphins, which are mammals. Dorado is another one of the names.

Dolphin fish are indigenous to tropical and semi-tropical waters. In fact, there is a major sport fishery for them all up and down the Florida coasts. 

It's a firm fleshed, relatively mild-tasting fish.


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## munchers (Apr 4, 2007)

hi kyhierloomer
how cool, iv never heard of it or had it, fresh tuna would be the nearest thing to it ( i think), and i like that.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Tuna actually has more robust taste, IMO. Not as strong as, say, bluefish, but not nearly as delicate as mahi mahi.


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## carrot2502 (Jan 7, 2007)

I've fished for Dorado, and caught it, eaten it loads of times in Florida but never cooked it. I consider it to be the most wonderful tasting of fishes! 
The one thing that bothers me, Heirloomer, is what the **** is EVOO????


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## sswordfish (Aug 23, 2006)

is this what the culinary instructors have come to...you are kidding right???


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil. One of Rachael Ray's cutsies, which has now not only become a common expression, it's in the new Oxford dictionary. Or is it Websters? One of them.

So I reckon it's official. :lol: 

And yeah, they are a great fish to catch. Not to mention one of the prettiest fish that swims.


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## munchers (Apr 4, 2007)

Im actually into the pastry end of things and reading a lot about the savoury end of things.Im just after starting teaching the young chefs, so a little patience requested.


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## carrot2502 (Jan 7, 2007)

EVOO=Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Thanks, Heirloomer, boy, should I have seen that coming! I put it down to LACK of stress in retirement!:smiles:


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## bluedogz (Oct 11, 2006)

Ooooohhhhh...... maybe I shoulda stayed in Florida 'stead of moving up here.


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## paddychef (Apr 16, 2007)

look at changing the crust, you can make a crust that will fold over the fish when its cooked, let me know if you are interested and i will give you a recipe


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## heavymetal chef (Jul 31, 2006)

well, what you are looking at is a crust that contains natural oils which make the nuts brown faster (seeing cooking things in oil cooks things faster). So have you tried cooking it at a medium heat with a little bit of liquid so the fish doesn't overcook (Because you have to cook seafood at high heat and steaming it will help it cook a little faster)? Tell me how it ends up.


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## oahuamateurchef (Nov 23, 2006)

Mahi-mahi is a Hawaiian word. When I think of it, I think Macadamia nuts!:lips:


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Actually that had been my first thought. But I had all these pistachios, y'see, and the whim.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

For anyone interested, I've finalized the dish.

For starters, instead of frying I sauteed the fish in a mixture of butter and olive oil until one side was browned. The pieces were flipped, topped with thin slices of lime, and popped into a 400 degree oven to finish. These were a bit thicker than an inch, so stayed in the oven about 12 minutes.

The lime slices dried out, but the top surface of the fish did not. I discarded those lime slices, and plated the fish on a bed of red onion marmalade with a couple of lime wedges on the side. 

I'm happy with it!

Thanks, all, for your suggestions.


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

KYHeirloomer;168235 said:


> Mahi mahi is a fish. It's actually the dolphin fish, but has a bunch of other names to keep people from confusing it with dolphins, which are mammals. Dorado is another one of the names.
> quote]
> 
> And for years I've believed it was a kind of tuna. Now I've gotta try it.
> ...


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## blade55440 (Sep 9, 2005)

so true you should have. I love Florida...


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## cookie jim (Apr 24, 2007)

KYHeirloomer.I used to do pecan crusted mahi=mahi in the fla keys. The only thing you have to do is butterfly the flesh pat down the middle to even the filet.This obviously cuts the time in the fry pan and worked great. also I bought a very flexable spatula which will help with the lost crust problem...good cookin...cookie


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Oddly enough, Jim, I have not had the lost-crust problem with this recipe. Surprises the heck out of me, because nut crusts are notorious for that.


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

A few Mahi-Mahi filets are now in the freezer. I think I'll thaw one for dinner t'nite, steam or poach it just see what the flavor is like, and then, if I like the fish, try some different ways of preparation. This is a good thread ... hmmm, I wonder how Mahi-Mahi ceviche might be

Shel


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## shipscook (Jan 14, 2007)

and plated the fish on a bed of red onion marmalade with a couple of lime wedges on the side.


That sounds really good, I have used carmalized shallots with mahi mahi. Also have served it with green peppercorn sauce--so meaty, it can stand up to it.

question, have been thinking the "burned nut dilemma" and was wondering, have seen racks of lamb cooked slightly and then had different coatings added and browned as it finishes? would that work? I love the idea of pistachios. Funny how an abundance inspires us!

Nan


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## bluezebra (May 19, 2007)

Hi KYHeirloomer! Good to see you here!

I have a question on the pistachio crust? What was your technique that you used? 

How thick was the MM?
What oil did you use for frying?
What type of pan did you use?
What heat did you use?

I've successfully been able to make nut crusted fish by the following method:

I use oil or butter mixed with oil (usually olive oil).

I make sure the fire is no more than medium and on the low side of medium is best.

I don't use a non-stick pan (I use a well heated aluminum chef pan or else my cast iron chicken pan)

And I pick fish that aren't too thick. Otherwise if the fish is thicker, it may be necessary to start them in a pan on a burner but finish them in the oven.

I also use this method for breading with nuts: wash, dry, and season fish. Cover in AP seasoned flour, dip in egg/milk wash (tap to remove excess), then coat in nuts. I've also done a combo panko/nut for a different texture. I also let the product sit a few minutes prior to pan frying because I think it helps the coating to toughen up and adhere a little better.

But if you want to try doing it in the oven, I see nothing wrong with the technique you are describing. I think it should work in theory! You might want to think about cooking them on a rack on the pan though.

Also another thought. MM is such a mild fish that I don't see the advantage of soaking it in milk prior to coating. I think you should have a dry coating close to the protein instead of a wet one. I know that whenever I soak chicken in buttermilk it gives a very tender, moist crust instead of a crunchy crust. 

I've also found that by starting with a wet next to a thick coating such as nuts that the portion of the coating that is right next to the protein tends to stay "wet" or even a bit gummy. Just my 2 cents! You have way more experience than me on this!

Anyway, happy cooking!


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Shell: I don't know about others, but I hate the idea of fast-thawing fish. It detracts from the quality, IMO. I defrost frozen fish in the fridge, which takes at least overnight for filets.

Hey, Blue. Good to see you here. 

The frying followed my usual techniques, other than the nut coating. It probably would have worked fine if the filets were thinner. But they were pretty thick, and the nut coating threatened to burn. 

But the second method: pan browning, flipping, and finishing in the oven, worked far beyond my expectations. The fish was tender, without being dried out, and the crust was perfect. 

I should have mentioned that I skipped the milk soak with the second method. The filets were moist enough for the flour to stick. So it was flour, egg wash, and the nuts.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

"I don't use a non-stick pan "

For what it's worth, I don't even own a non-stick pan.

Don't see any use for them, frankly, and combined with the open health questions about their use, I'll do without.


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

I don't "fast thaw" either. Putting them in the fridge in the AM usually gives me a piece of fish that's ready to cook for dinner. Same 8 - 12 hours ;-) These filets are thin, in any case. With thicker filets, like salmon, steaming or poaching gives me a nice rare center, which I prefer. I don't care for my fish to be too well done, especially salmon.

Anyway, as it turns out, I'm going to have the mahi-mahi tomorrow. Discovered that I'm out of lemon, and I'm not making another run to the market. So t'nite it's a salad with some salmon chunks and a piece of fresh-baked challah.

Shel


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## hunterchefdrew (May 19, 2007)

I just happened to be playing around today with roughy and pistachios. I use Mahi in several dishes on my current menu and occasionally with Pistachios and I have found that simply cooking it on the flat top grill for a few minutes on each side and then finishing in the oven works very well. Hope this helps. 

D


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## bluezebra (May 19, 2007)

KYHeirloomer glad to hear the finish in the oven worked! You probably already had it figured out before I came on the scene so great to know gmta! haha! 

Yeah, I threw away all my teflon lined pans. I don't want to take the chance that was making my asthma worse. It did help to get rid of them. I love my cast iron and my aluminum sautee pans. (yeah I know the thing about aluminum but I've heard that a report came out debunking lol, and I'm willing to live with alzheimer's if I get it! )

And it's great to be here! You and nan are two of my favorites over at epi and I think you are both here! Yippee!!


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