Technically it’s still winter, but the heavy, comfort-food dishes I’ve been cooking all season are beginning to lose their appeal as the weather starts to warm. This light, bright, mahi mahi topped with spicy, juicy fruit salsa is a refreshing change of pace. I made this dish on a recent Saturday night as part of a tropical menu, so we could imagine ourselves on a warm breezy island somewhere far away from chilly brown Connecticut.
The pan-roasting technique, the seasoning and salsa will all work with many different kinds of fish. If your fish market doesn’t have mahi mahi, try sea bass, swordfish, tilapia, cod or salmon. And don’t forget to check the freezer case. Mahi mahi is often available in 12 ounce bags that contain 2 fillets individually wrapped and frozen.
And you can play around with the salsa ingredients, too. Try pineapple, melon, peaches, strawberries or orange segments in place of the mango or avocado. Substitute cilantro, basil or mint for the parsley.
Sazon seasoning can be found in grocery stores in the international foods aisle. If you can’t find it, substitute a combination of chili powder and ground cumin.
Can you make this ahead?
- Don’t. The fish will dry out if reheated, the avocado in the salsa will brown and the lime juice will start to break down the other salsa ingredients if it sits for more than an hour. This dish is so quick and easy to make, prepare it just before serving, and don’t plan on leftovers.
To see this recipe combined with others in a special dinner menu, read the post for Saturday March 14, 2020.
Mahi Mahi with Mango-Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
- Two 6-ounce mahi mahi fillets
- 1 tablespoon Wondra quick-mixing flour
- 1 teaspoon Sazon seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon plus a pinch of Morton’s), divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 mango, pitted, peeled and diced
- ½ of an avocado, pitted and diced
- ¼ of a red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 small or ½ large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 scallion, white and light green parts, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Juice of one lime
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
Directions
- Step 1 Pat the mahi mahi dry with paper towels. Place the fillets on a work surface with the presentation side up. (The presentation side is the side that didn’t have the skin on it – the skin side will be flatter and may show texture from where the skin was removed.)
- Step 2 Combine the Wondra, Sazon, oregano, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal salt (or ¼ teaspoon Morton’s) and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture over the presentation side of the mahi mahi, leaving the skin side bare. Use all of the seasoning mixture, dividing evenly among the 2 fillets. Let the fish sit while you heat the oven and the pan.
- Step 3 Heat the oven to 400 degrees on the Roast setting if it has one. Heat a large, heavy oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron, but non-stick would be the next-best option) over medium-high heat until hot.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, make the salsa. Combine the mango, avocado, both peppers, scallion and parsley in a small bowl. Juice the lime and add the juice to the salsa, along with the remaining ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or a large pinch of Morton’s) and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to combine the salsa, then set it aside.
- Step 5 Drizzle the oil into the hot skillet. Place the mahi mahi in the skillet, presentation/seasoned side down. Cook 2 or 3 minutes until the bottom side is browned and crusty, and the fillets loosen easily from the pan without sticking. Flip the fillets, seasoned side up.
- Step 6 Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the fish until it’s cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Test for doneness by sticking a fork into the center of one of the fillets – if it goes through with no resistance, the fish is done.
- Step 7 Transfer the fish to two plates and spoon the fruit salsa over the top.
