I am obsessing over a cookbook I just bought at Whole Foods. Fish, 54 Seafood Feasts by Cree LeFavour is a treat for the eyes as well as a great source for information about buying and cooking sustainable seafood. Kudos to Ms. LeFavour on Fish's nomination for a 2014 James Beard award. I have carried the book everywhere, reading it like a novel between red lights. Well, not really, but close.
I love the tips for selecting and cooking fish and the recipe organization by regional and global cuisines. We took a culinary trip to the middle east or dinner tonight thanks to Grilled Mahi Mahi over Couscous with Za'atar, Lemon, and Asparagus, with Blackened Peppers. I had to do a little recipe adaptation because not all the ingredients were available locally. But, a lucky find at the antique mall last weekend allowed me to plate mine almost like the photograph in Fish, minus the awesome food photography.
Another really nice feature of this cookbook is that each fish recipe is paired with at least one side dish making an entire cohesive meal. I really appreciated that tonight. For harder to find ingredients the author provides alternatives that might be more readily available. For example, the little market down the road doesn't carry Za'atar but they do carry the fresh oregano and toasted sesame seeds. If you purchase the cookbook, and you should, a must-read is the section on which ingredients on which one must never scrimp. I took the advice and bought myself a most delicious bottle of imported olive oil.
You can buy a hardcover copy or Kindle version of Fish at all the usual places like Amazon or Barnes and Nobel. I am headed over to Amazon tonight for the Kindle version which will be a little easier to carry around with me. There are so many wonderful, intriguing recipes in this book that I just have to try. Michael and I loved this dish and will definitely be adding it to our seafood recipe repertoire.
Equipment
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Grill plate
- Small saucepan
- Saute pan
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 10-12 ounce Mahi Mahi filets 2 filets
- Kosher salt
- 1 TBS Very Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the blackened peppers:
- 5-6 small to medium mixed peppers I used small red bell peppers and jalapeños
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
For the couscous with asparagus:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup couscous I used Pearl couscous
- 1 bunch of fresh asparagus spears
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
For the fish:
- Prepare a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high heat. Brush the grill plates with oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Season the mahi mahi filets with kosher salt and place on the grill, skin side down. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the fish feels firm when pressed with a finger. Carefully flip the filets over and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes to get nice grill marks.
For the blackened peppers:
- Slice the peppers in half if small, quarters if medium in size. Remove the seeds and membranes and brush with olive oil. Grill directly on the hot grate until charred on one side. Flip them over and char the other side. Remove from the grill when they begin to soften and have black blisters. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt. You can cook the peppers along with the fish.
For the couscous with asparagus:
- Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour in the couscous and boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover and let sit until all liquid is absorbed.
- Trim the asparagus and cut into one inch pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté' pan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Pour the remaining olive oil into a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, mint, almonds, and sesame seeds. Stir to mix well. Add the couscous and asparagus and toss to combine.
- Spread the couscous on a serving platter. Drizzle with a little of the very good extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Arrange the peppers and fish filets on top of the couscous and serve with extra lemon wedges.
Jodee Weiland says
This looks so delicious, Mary! I love grilled Mahi Mahi, and the vegetables with couscous, asparagus, and peppers complete this dish beautifully...what a great meal! Thanks for sharing!