Cook your Catch – Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi (Dolphin)
Eugene L. 04.19.24
I got the chance to run the Gulf Stream to chase after tunas recently. While we did do a 450-mile round trip out of Jacksonville looking for tuna, we ended up only finding a big line loaded with mahi mahi and a sailfish. So while we didn’t bring home any tuna, Mahi is definitely a good consolation prize. The Mahi, also known as a dolphin or dorado, is one of the coolest pelagic species you can run into offshore. They are often plentiful and quick to hit a lure or bait, so a great target to go after if numbers are your goal. A very colorful pelagic species, they often have a mix of bright green and blue with blotches of gold across their flanks. This golden coloration is also the reason for the Spanish name dorado, which means golden or gilded in Spanish. A cool fact about mahi is they are incredibly fast-growing, often toted as the fastest-growing fish out there. They start off as a tiny little fry but rapidly grow up to 88 lbs in weight. All of this growth happens in a short five-year lifespan. With this rapid growth mahi makes for a great fish to take home without feeling any way about keeping. So with some of the guilt-free fillets I brought home, I’ll show yall how to make Pecan Crusted Mahi with a simple lemon caper sauce.
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Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi(Dolphin) Ingredients
- Mahi Fillets – Portioned Out
- Eggs
- Crushed Pecans
- Panko bread crumbs
- AP Flour
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Lemon Caper Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp – Capers
- 4tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Lemon Juiced
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
- 1 clove Garlic Minced
- Fresh Italian Parsley
- Salt
The first step to make the Pecan Crusted Mahi is to prep the pecans, while they are already crushed they aren’t fine enough to use yet. You can either use a food processor or just your kitchen knife to chop the pecans up a bit finer. You don’t want to overdo it though, you don’t want to start making nut butter. So stop when the biggest pieces are a bit smaller than a pencil eraser. Then add the chopped-up pecans to your panko bread crumbs, you are doing a 1 to 1 ratio of pecan to panko.
Once the pecans are done, season up your pieces of mahi. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the fish. Let the fish sit as you finish up the rest of your prep, that way the salt can penetrate a bit deeper as it sits.
Set up your dredging station, the first bowl with the all-purpose flour, the next bowl is two eggs beaten smooth, and the last is the pecan panko dredge. At this point start preheating your oven to 400F. Then you can start to crust your pieces of mahi.
You want to use a two-hand method, so one hand is only for the dry steps and the other is for the wet steps. That way you don’t end up just battering your fingers as you try to work with the fish. Using your dry hand drop the mahi in the AP flour and coat evenly, then still with the same hand drop it in the egg wash. Now use your other hand to make sure the piece of fish is completely coated in the egg wash, using your wet hand pick up the fish and take it over the pecan/panko now.
Using your dry hand again start covering the fish with the pecan/panko mix. Make sure to press it into the fish so it sticks well. Once it is nicely coated put it aside and repeat the process for all the pieces of mahi. Letting it sit a little bit will help keep the crust to stick better as the breadcrumb hydrates a bit from the egg wash.
Heat up a pan over medium heat with a 1/4-inch layer of olive oil. Once the pan is up to temp add in your pieces of pecan crusted mahi. Fry them for about 2 minutes on each side, turning them over once the side turns golden brown. Once all sides are nicely toasted put the whole pan into the preheated oven for about 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. While the fish is cooking in the oven its time to make your lemon caper sauce.
This lemon caper sauce is super quick and easy to make, first zest your lemon a bit, you only need a teaspoon of the zest. Then take 4 tbsp of the butter and add that to a small pan over medium heat to melt.
Once the butter has melted and is sizzling slightly add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, and minced garlic. Cook the sauce for a little bit to cook out a little of the water. Whisk the sauce together some to better emulsify it and thicken it. Add in salt to taste afterward, and right before serving throw in the chopped-up parsley. Turn off the heat and move the pan mostly off the burner to keep warm as you finish plating your fish.
Once the pecan crusted mahi is done baking, pull it out of the oven and start plating. Go with whatever sides you want and then top it with a few spoonfuls of that lemon caper sauce. Garnish with a little more of that fresh parsley and a lemon wedge. While I used mahi and pecans this time, this recipe can be made with most tree nuts, and any firm fish that isn’t too oily.
