Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi with Coconut Rice

*Post by Angela.

I am on a quest. I don't want to slay any dragons.  I'm not looking to find the last unicorn. No, my quest involves finding seafood preparations that Mark will like. I've encouraged him to try my seafood dishes when we go out to eat, and while he hasn't always liked what he's tried, he's always been receptive to my efforts.  So, the other day, I decided to try making him a seafood dish for the very first time, took myself down to Whole Foods, and picked up some nice mahi mahi fillets. Mahi mahi is a very firm-fleshed fish, and slighty sweet. More importantly, it's less fishy and more meaty, which I thought would be just the ticket. I intended to make fish tacos - after all, pretty much everything tastes good fried. But I just couldn't do it - it seemed so wrong to batter and fry such a gorgeously meaty and flavorful fish.

So, thinking about the fish dishes Mark has liked in the past (specifically, the sweet Miso glazed black cod we had at Masa 14), I switched gears and found this recipe on Recipezaar. Normally when I make fish, I just cook up plain white rice in my rice cooker to accompany it. But since I was preparing the mahi so simply, I decided to fancy it up a little with some coconut rice. The rice turned out to be my favorite part of the meal - really creamy, yet not too overwhelmingly coconutty, and the toasted coconut flakes were the perfect topping. The fish turned out very good, but not quite as sweet as I wanted it - it was a little too subtle. BUT, if you are already a fan of fish, like me, this meal is darned satisfying, and a great way to segue into a lazy weekday evening.

List of ingredients for the fish:

• 2 mahi mahi fillets (skin on), or any other kind of firm-fleshed fish
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger (I used my microplane grater)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 tsp + 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

First, I combined all the ingredients (minus the extra tbsp olive oil) in a plastic container, mixed well, and set aside.

I rinsed the fish, patted it dry, and removed all the pin bones. If anyone knows of a good method for removing pin bones, please let me know - I just pulled them out with my fingers, which was a pain.

I nestled the fish in the marinade, making sure it was completely submerged, then covered the container and refrigerated for about 2 hours.

List of ingredients for the rice:

• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp flaked sweetened coconut

About 20 minutes before I wanted to cook my fish, I started in on the rice. First, I heated a small pan over medium low heat and toasted 2 tbsp of the flaked coconut, being careful that the flakes didn't burn. Then, I toasted up 4 more tbsp, and snacked on them throughout the rest of the cooking process. That's not part of the recipe, but I highly recommend you follow my instructions. You'll be a much happier cook.

In a separate saucepan, I combined the broth, coconut milk and ginger, and brought it to a boil over medium high heat.

I stirred in the rice, brought it back up to a boil, then reduced the heat to medium low. I covered the saucepan and simmered for about 15 minutes, until the rice was tender and the liquid was absorbed.

I added the lemon zest and green onions to the rice and fluffed it up with a fork.

I finished off my serving by topping it with the toasted coconut flakes.

I then turned my attention back to the fish, preheating the oven to 400 degrees. There are no photos of this part because, well, I was engrossed in Avatar: The Last Airbender reruns on NickToons. There, I said it. Anyway, I took the fish out of the marinade, shaking off the excess, and heated the extra tbsp of olive oil in my grill pan over medium high heat. I placed the fish, skin side down, onto the pan for about 3-4 minutes in order to get the skin crispy, then turned the fish over and cooked for an additional 2-3 minutes. I flipped the fish back over and put the entire grill pan in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the fish was completely opaque, flaky, and caramelized on top.

I served the fish alongside the coconut rice and dug in. Like I said, the rice was pretty delicious, and the fish was solidly good. I enjoyed it a lot, and Mark still ate it, but I will continue my search for that perfect seafood glaze - one that can transition someone from a sometimes-fish-eater to true seafood  lover. I have high hopes for the Nobu Black Cod with Miso recipe...

Comments

[iEatDC]

Yumm the rice looks sooo good! It also might want to be a little creamier, chilled, and put into a martini glass as a fancy dessert. WANT!

[michelle]

YUMMMM. I may have to make this. Do you think I could make the rice in a rice cooker with a few modifications?

[Angela]

You know, I DO believe with a little more sweetener, and without the chicken broth (subbing in water) and green onions, the rice easily be turned into a dessert. You just may be a genius!

Michelle-
I do think you could make this in a rice cooker, and I don't even think you would need that many modifications - just maybe check on it from time to time to make sure it wasn't burning? If you make it that way, let me know, I wouldn't mind having this more often and would love to make it in my rice cooker.

[gelaoo@yahoo.com]

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