This recipe is my attempt to re-create a dish I had on vacation several years ago. Though it turned out different from what I remember -- mine is pan-seared rather than grilled, and the sauce is lacking a citrusy component -- it is absolutely delicious. It hits on all the major flavors of many Thai dishes -- hot, sour, salty and sweet. The hot is from chile paste and ginger; the sour and salty from fish sauce; and the sweet is from coconut milk and apricot preserves.
The missing component? Lemongrass.
If you have some on hand, add about 1/2 teaspoon minced to the sauce.
Look for fish sauce and sambal oelek with the Asian foods at the supermarket.
I served the fish with roasted cauliflower because that's the vegetable I had on hand. I can see how some might find pairing a vegetable with roots in the Mediterranean with a Thai-flavored fish a bit incongruent.
If that's the case for you, consider serving the fish with rice and a cucumber salad.
Coconut Chile Mahi-Mahi
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or other hot chile paste
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Splash soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Ground black pepper
4 mahi-mahi filets
Olive oil
Fresh cilantro OR green onion, minced
In a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, preserves, ginger, garlic, sambal oelek, fish sauce and soy sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer vigorously until mixture has thickened and reduced slightly.
In a shallow dish, combine the flour and a generous grind of black pepper. Lightly coat fish in flour mixture.
In a cast-iron skillet or griddle, heat enough olive oil to coat over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook until seared on one side, about 4 minutes; turn and cook on second side until fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes more.
Serve fish with sauce and cilantro.
Makes 4 servings.
Food on 10/28/2015