Wish Upon A Dish: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers

May 19, 2010

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers

Every once in a while you have to pull out those old cookbooks and revisit old friends. I don't think I ever made a recipe from Wolfgang Puck's Adventures in the Kitchen.
It was published way back in 1991 when he finally became famous with Spago and Chinois. He was always known for many ingredients and steps to each recipe but if you think about it he was just like Thomas Keller is today.

I don't know if his new books are written in the "30-minute meal" structure so many magazines and cookbooks have adopted for today's lifestyle, but I know he was trained in the old ways. Like building a house.

This recipe is actually on the table in "30" and is full of flavor and low in calories. It originally called for halibut, my Shop-Rite never gets halibut so I had to substitute something that would stand up to grilling......Mahi Mahi.
My husband actually discovered this delightful fish. To look at it amongst the other fish in the counter it looked dull and slightly grey. I never would have tried it without him first tasting it in California where they make the infamous Baja Fish Tacos with it.

I recommend this recipe for party fare, it's that good and can be eaten room temp.

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of chili pepper flakes to taste
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I used the canned Petite Cut Hunt's)
1 red bell pepper, diced
Pinch of Saffron
Pinch of chopped fresh thyme leaves
Pinch of chopped fresh basil leaves plus whole for garnish
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 pounds of firm fish (Halibut, Mahi Mahi, Snapper, Bass)

Heat the grill.
In a heavy saute pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Saute the onion, garlic and chili flakes for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, bell pepper, saffron, thyme and basil, pour in the wine, and cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Keep warm.
Brush the remaining oil over the fish and season with salt & pepper. Grill until medium, about 3 1/2 minutes each side.

Spoon the tomato and bell pepper mixture in the center of 4 heated dinner plates. Place a fish fillet on top and garnish with basil leaves.

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