Continuing our focus on quick and inspiring meals featuring fish, this time around mahi mahi - a firm fish brimming with flavor - finds its way to your plate with a bit of skillet cooking followed by a bath in a sauce featuring lemon, garlic, crushed red pepper, and more. You'll find yourself reaching for this recipe again and again once you realize it can be on the table in 30 minutes.
Usually I offer a bevy of tweaks to recipes, but this one's so simple and lovely, I recommend sticking with it as is. If you really aren't a fan, you can skip the crushed red pepper, but in these amounts, it merely adds depth of flavor to the dish instead of heat. You can halve or double this recipe fairly easily.
The photo above shows this fish dish served over a multigrain blend of wild rice, brown rice, red rice, and farro with green onions, almonds, and lemon. I cooked it in my Instant Pot using the multigrain setting and used chicken broth as my cooking liquid. This dish is also lovely over pasta or rice. A side of steamed or lightly sautéed asparagus or a light salad would also work nicely alongside this beautiful fish dish. Cheers!
Lemon Garlic Mahi Mahi
- 2 T. unsalted butter, divided
- 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 mahi mahi fillets
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of the butter and one tablespoon of the oil until the butter is melted. Add the mahi mahi; season with salt and black pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until the fish is golden on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir in the lemon zest and juice. Return the mahi mahi to the skillet and spoon the sauce over, warming fully. Serve over pasta, rice, or a multigrain blend.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes