Rosie Makes Miso Glazed Mahi Mahi.

My son came home the other day with a mess o’ mahi mahi and I’m one happy Mama.  There are so many ways to prepare mahi - one can bake it, grill it, blacken it, sauté it, fry it, and I’ve done them all. 

 For example, you might like to try my

 

 puffy tacos with mahi bites and a kiwi salsa.

 

 

Or my blackened mahi mahi with pineapple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or fried bites of mahi.

 

 

 

 

Or you can use the en papillote method.  (Yes, I used grouper in the post but mahi would work just fine.)

 

 Or you can encrust the fillets in pistachios and sauté them.

 

 Or you can simply bake mahi mahi.

 

 

 

 

 

 Today, I’m taking the fillets and marinating them in a miso paste-based sauce, then reducing the marinade and using it as a flavor-enhancing glaze for the sautéed fillets.  Add a few sides, say some wild rice and a stir-fried vegetable mix, and you’ve got quite a palatable meal.

 In case you’re not familiar with the Japanese staple miso paste, it’s a thick, savory paste made from fermented soy beans.  The soybeans are inoculated with a type of mold, called koji  (which is also used to make sake) and blended with other grains, then it’s allowed to ferment.  The longer the fermentation, the darker the paste and the more complex the flavor.  Miso gives you a boost of sapidity, namely that fifth basic taste component, along with sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, called umami.  Umami is salty, earthy, rich, intense, multi-dimensional, and kinda funky.  Basically, it’s what makes your mouth water.

 Now, on to some mouth-watering mahi mahi.

First, I'm making the miso-based marinade.

This is what miso looks like.

I keep it in the freezer and simply scoop out what I need.  (It doesn't freeze solid.)

Here are my ingredients for the marinade:

(Clockwise from top left.)

1 TB soy sauce 

2 TB sake (You could substitute sherry or white wine if you don’t have sake on hand.) 

 1 TB mirin 

1 tsp red pepper flakes  (That's the gochugaru in the picture.)

 2 TB miso paste

1 TB brown sugar 

2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed 

3 1-inch cubes of ginger, juiced and minced or pressed 

Zest and juice of one lime and one lemon (Oooh... Left out the lemon in the picture.  My bad!)

 

Rosie Note:  What?  You don't have mahi mahi?  Try the marinade with pork or chicken.  Either one would work well.

Combine all marinade ingredients.

Lovely mahi mahi fillets.

Now, remove that bloodline.

In case you don't know, the bloodline is that darker strip of meat that goes down the side of the fillet.  It's often oily and fishy tasting and, as the fish ages, the flavor gets stronger.  But then this fish was swimming this morning and I'm not giving it a chance to age.

Place the fillets in a ziplock bag and add the marinade.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Now, I'm fixing my side dish.

It's a bok choy stir fry.

I have:

chopped bok choy

chopped onion

sliced mushrooms

sliced garlic

sesame oil

sesame seeds

First I added just a slight film of oil in a pan over medium high heat and added in the mushrooms.

Let 'em cook for about a minute, turning and pushing around until nicely browned.

Next, I added in a little sesame oil and...

... added in the bottom stalks of the bok choy.

Cook it about 2 minutes, stirring.

Add in the onions and garlic.

Add in the more tender upper leaves of the bok choy.

Cook another minute.

Add in the sesame seeds.

And you're done!

I had wild rice ready to go.  Nice and nutty.

Now, I'm ready to cook the fish fillets.

Heat a film of oil in the pan and throw in about a tablespoon or so of butter.

Over medium high heat. 

 Add in the fillets after letting the excess marinade drip off back into the bag.

Cook about 2 minutes, then turn over and cook another minute.

Place fillets on a warm serving platter.

Pour the marinade into the pan.

Cook, stirring, until bubbly.

Let reduce a bit.

And now you have a nice glaze.

Pour glaze over fillets and add some sliced green onions.

Enjoy!