Seared Mahi-Mahi with Mango Sauce

This year I got hooked into "Worst Cooks in America." I was so hooked that I watched the whole first season on OnDemand to catch up! Confirmed horrible home cooks go through a boot camp to learn how to cook like professional chefs. The "recruits" served up some fabulous dishes. One of the final rounds was serving a dish to Chef Anne, Chef Robert and a surprise guest - one of the recruit's loved ones! Georg (my favorite) served the chefs and her wife a mahi dish (at her wife's request).

I made the mahi and mango salsa, but left out the rice. I wanted to make another side dish from the show (Pommes Chef Anne). It totally didn't tie together with the meal, but it looked yummy!








Seared Mahi-Mahi with Mango Sauce and Fragrant Rice
from Chef Robert Irvine in Worst Cooks in America

Ingredients
Rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 scallions, green parts only, chopped
Salt

Mango Sauce:
1 mango
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 lime, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic, quartered
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

Fish:
4 mahi-mahi fillets
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, chopped, for garnish



Directions


For the rice:
1. Combine the rice and water together in a large saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook the rice for 20 minutes.

For the sauce:
1. Peel the mango and slice the flesh off the pit. Dice the mango flesh.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the mango, cilantro, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

Heat a large, nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat.

Rub the fish fillets with the oil, salt, and pepper. Place in the hot pan and sear until golden on 1 side, 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn the fish over and cook until cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the fish. You'll know the fish is done when the flesh springs back. Remove the fish to a plate.

When the rice is cooked, fluff it with a fork and gently stir in the cilantro and scallions. Season with salt, to taste.

Place a mound of rice on each plate. Top with mahi-mahi. Spoon the mango sauce over each fillet and top with chopped scallions. Drizzle the liquid from the mango sauce around the rice.

Ode to Ina - and Eli's Asian Salmon

I just love Ina Garten (AKA the Barefoot Contessa). When I was on maternity leave (and Shelby wouldn't let me put her down), I watched A LOT of the Food Network. Ina was so great to watch - she has a calming voice and cooks elegant food with very simple, fresh ingredients. I believe I've seen every episode of her show...yes, that makes me a loser.

I've learned how to roast the perfect rib roast and chicken, flavorful couscous, and now, this Asian salmon.


2 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillet (1 1/2 inches thick)
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce [Bonnie's note: who owns oyster sauce??]
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste
1/2 cup sliced scallions (2 scallions)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (8 large cloves)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) [Bonnie's note: regular bread crumbs work just fine]

Directions
Line an 8 by 12-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the salmon in the pan.

In a mixing cup, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, scallions, garlic, and ginger. Pour 1/3 of soy sauce mixture over the salmon fillet. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the fillet. Pour the rest of the soy sauce mixture evenly over the panko. Be sure to soak the panko completely and if any runs off, spoon back onto the salmon. Set aside for 15 minutes, leaving all the sauce in the pan.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Roast the salmon for 18 to 20 minutes, or for about 12 minutes per inch at the thickest part of the salmon. The internal temperature will be 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer when it's done. Remove from the oven, wrap tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
[Bonnie's note: for a halved recipe, 15 minutes is all it took for the fish to be done.]



Blogging about our menus also allows my darling husband to photograph the meal! Credits to Scott for the great photo!