Mahi Mahi with Roasted Corn Salsa
Difficulty: Easy
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves 3
As we transition from summer to fall now is the time to really take advantage of the wonderful summer vegetables, before they’re gone for the rest of the year. California is blessed with beautiful, sweet, and plump corn during this time of the year and one of my favorite things to do with it is roast it over an open flame. I find that it brings out the natural sweetness while imparting some nice roasted and smoky flavor. Combined with some sweet poblanos, creamy, rich avocados, and some caramelized shallots and garlic, you have a recipe for success. This is also the time to take advantage of some seasonal fish! Here in SoCal, this is about the end of the season for Yellowtail (Japanese Amberjack), Mahi Mahi, Yellow Fin tuna, and Pacific Halibut. This recipe works with almost any grilled white fish but is just as delicious when you fry the fish in a crispy beer batter!
Food Dictionary
Poblano Peppers: A sweet, mildly spicy, and fruity pepper also known as Ancho peppers when dried.
The Recipe:
Ingredients:
3 Mahi Mahi Fillets
1 Poblano Pepper
2 ears of corn
2 medium shallots/1 small red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon Cumin
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 limes
2 ripe medium avocados
Beer batter tempura (optional)
1 can/ 12 fl. oz Ice cold beer
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup corn starch
1 egg
The Process:
Start by preparing all your ingredients. Peel and slice your shallots, and garlic, Wash, shuck and dry the ears of corn. Zest one of your limes, and squeeze the juice into a small bowl, slice the other lime into wedges for garnish. Make your beer batter and place it in the freezer.
Roast and char your poblano pepper over an open flame, until the skins become black on all sides and then wrap in aluminum foil to steam, for 5 minutes.
Similarly, roast your corn until lightly charred and bespeckled with black kernels. Be careful not to over roast the corn and burn all of the kernels.
In a small saute pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and begin caramelizing the shallots on medium-low heat. Once all the shallots have been caramelized, toast the garlic for 2 minutes just to get rid of the pungency. While the mixture is still hot add the cumin and cinnamon and toast for 30 seconds. Remove to a clean mixing bowl and place in the fridge for 5 minutes.
After your pepper is done steaming, scrape off all of the burnt skins and remove the seeds from within the pepper. Dice the pepper into a desirable size and add it to the same bowl as the caramelized shallots.
Cut the roasted corn off the cob, being careful not to break up the corn too much and add that to the bowl as well.
Halve and pit the avocados and cut that into bite-size pieces as well. Carefully scoop the cubed flesh out of the avocado skins and add that to the bowl. Dress the salsa with the lime juice and lemon zest and mix gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set in the fridge while you cook your fish.
In a large frying pan, coat the bottom with olive oil and begin heating the pan till medium heat. Season your fish with, salt and pepper and cook on the first side for 2-3 mins or until the fish begins turning opaque halfway up the fillet. Turn the fish over and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Pull the fish off the pan, season with a squeeze of lime/lemon, and let rest for 2-3 minutes.
If you’re frying the fish, heat 3 inches oil in a medium-sized dutch oven, or a heavy bottom tall sided frying pan. Coat the fish in the thin beer batter (after seasoning with salt and pepper) and lay the fish in. Drizzle in an extra 2 tablespoons of the batter after putting the fish in, to create crispy edges. Flip the fish after 2 minutes or golden brown on side 1 and repeat on side 2.
Remove the fish from the oil and let drain on paper towels. Season again lightly, with Salt and pepper, and serve.
Plate the fish upon a healthy bed of corn salsa and serve with a wedge of lime.
