Lightly pan fried Mahi Mahi is served with a Creole sauce for a slightly spicy fish dish. It’s a quick healthy fish dish that is low carb and gluten free too.
I have made this fish dish influenced by the Creole dishes that we have in St Lucia with a little twist on the cinnamon spice as a nod to the warm spices that are also available in St Lucia. It sounds a strange spice to have with chilli and peppers, but it works. Feel free to omit it, if it’s not for you.
This Mahi Mahi recipe is a quick and easy dish that is as colourful as it is full of flavour. I have made it a few times and it has been received with the same joy as when I first served it. Apart from the time I doubled up on the hot peppers we have here. That night, the Chief Taster had the heat sweats. I use a local pepper that is similar to scotch bonnet peppers and is referred to as seasoning peppers. They still pack a lot of heat.
PAN FRIED MAHI MAHI
The Mahi Mahi is gently pan fried, then lightly poached in a tomato and pepper sauce full of spices. A Creole sauce is traditionally made with tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, spices and herbs. Although a Creole sauce will have celery in it, the Chief Taster detests celery almost as much as cucumber, so that had to be omitted.
The Chief Taster ate this up with gusto, with his eyes shining with food joy and love. He is very particular about his fish and since I can’t taste test any fish dish (I am a vegetarian) a lot of my fish cooking relies on guess work. Then an interrogation afterwards for any ways it can be improved.
WHAT IS MAHI MAHI?
If you see Dolphin Fish on the menu in the Caribbean, don’t worry as it’s another term for Mahi Mahi and not the delightful mammal. The first time we saw it on the menu in Barbados we raised our eyebrows but were put at rest by the restaurant staff. Dorado is another name you may see this fish by.
Mahi Mahi is found in tropical and sub-tropical oceans. If you can’t find it where you live you could substitute it with halibut, swordfish or fresh tuna. It is a firm fish and easy to cook with. A great source of protein and rich in minerals, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, it’s a perfect low carb fish. It has a sweet mild flavour and can be baked, steamed, grilled or fried. It is also a great fish for the BBQ.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MAHI MAHI
One of the great things about this fish is that you can serve it with a variety of side dishes. The only influencing factor is what sauce you are cooking the fish in or how it is cooked. You can serve this with a range of side salads and vegetables.
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Salad
Creole Mahi Mahi
Ingredients
- 2 Mahi Mahi fillets skin removed
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 small onion peeled & chopped
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled & chopped
- 2 tablespoons thyme, fresh
- 1 hot chilli pepper chopped
- ½ green pepper cut into strips
- ½ red pepper cut into strips
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Season the fish with salt and pepper
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan on a medium heat.
- Fry the fish for 3 minutes per side, then remove and set aside.
- Fry the onion, garlic, tomatoes and thyme for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the vegetables do not dry out or stick.
- Add the cinnamon, paprika, hot pepper and stock and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the green and red pepper strips to the pan and cover it with a lid and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the fish and simmer for 15 minutes in the sauce.
- Serve immediately
Rick
The recipe came out very good and enjoyed. However I thought the directions were a tiny bit confusing. Fry the tomatoes with the onions and garlic? Shouldn't the onions fry a bit before putting in the tomatoes? Also I would have thought to add the red and green bell peppers with the onions and garlic. The only mention of adding the peppers were towards the end (#6) after the onions garlic and tomatoes were cooked. At that point I thought you meant put some black pepper.
I sauteed the green and red pepper with the onions for 5 minutes and then added the tomatoes and it came out very good.
Angela Coleby
Thanks. I should have written that the peppers were cut to strips. I've amended the recipe card. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.