Normally I would say Mahi Mahi isn’t my absolute favorite fish. It isn’t up there with the likes of sea bass or halibut but I’m also not a billionaire and can’t afford to buy sea bass and halibut every week. Mahi is budget friendly and you can find it pretty much anywhere, which makes it a much more accessible fish for us regular folks.
Mahi is a lean, firm fish with a pronounced flavor so it can stand up to some pretty bold sauces. This chunky tomato sauce with capers, lemon and wine is acidic and briny. It balances out the meaty texture and sweet flavor of the fish without completely overwhelming it.
This dish comes together so quickly and uses a few simple, fresh ingredients. It looks super elegant but is economical and easy enough to enjoy anytime!
Here’s what you need:
Equipment you may need:
How to sear Mahi:
To get that perfect, golden brown crust, you have to start out with a hot pan! If the pan is cold, it will stick when you try to flip it. Heat the pan to medium high and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Don’t add the fillets until the oil begins to smoke a little.
Also, to ensure perfect browning, make sure your fillets are very dry. Use a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to dry them well, then sprinkle all over with salt.
You could use fillets that are skin-on or skinless, whichever you prefer. If you have fillets with skin, sear on the side without skin first. The only difference I’ve noticed is skin-on fillets take about one minute longer to cook.
Make the sauce in the same pan.
Once both sides have seared, remove the fillets from the pan and get started on the sauce. I recommend having everything minced or diced and ready to go so you don’t have to do any panic prepping, because like I mentioned earlier, this sauce does come together super quick.
Sauté the shallots for a minute or so, then add the garlic and sauté a minute more. Garlic burns very easily so keep an eye on it. Next deglaze with white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add diced tomatoes and capers with a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes to cook the tomatoes down slightly without completely losing their shape. Finally finish with fresh lemon juice and parsley. Taste the sauce and adjust for seasonings.
At this point you could put the filets back in the pan and spoon on the sauce or serve them up on a platter and pour the chunky tomato sauce over.
This pan seared Mahi with chunky tomato and caper sauce goes perfectly with Creamy Parmesan Polenta, or over Vanishing Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes with my Sexy Garlic Sautéed Green Beans!
More recipes to try:
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with a Chunky Tomato and Caper Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Mahi-mahi fillets 4-6 ounces each
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic sliced thin
- 3 medium sized tomatoes large diced
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2-3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Dry Mahi-mahi fillets well with paper towels and sprinkle them with salt. Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high and add olive oil.Once the oil begins to smoke, add the fillets, top side down. Sear on both sides for 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium.Add the shallot and sauté for a couple minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for a minute more. Add the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.Add the tomatoes and capers with a good pinch of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down but still hold their shape. Add the fresh lemon and parsley.Spoon the sauce over the seared fish fillets.
Absolutely love this recipe and is so flavorful and healthy!
Great detail. Will be trying this out soon.
Cannot wait to try it.