LIVE, LOVE, & EAT in SAYULITA- A Recipe For Dorado in a Butter-Lemon Sauce

In my last column, I promised you a most delicious, easy to prepare, and even easier to eat, pan-roasted Dorado in a butter-lemon sauce. Did you know that Dorado is also called Mahi Mahi? This is the Hawaiian name for the fish, and the Spanish name is Dorado. This is a true Dolphin fish; not the dolphin mammal. I didn’t know this, so I used to never eat Dorado, but now it is one of my favorite fish to cook here in Mexico! All of the ingredients for this recipe are available here in Sayulita, and fresh Dorado is especially easy to find in our coastal beach town of Sayulita, full of fresh seafood.

I promise that this will be your new favorite way to make Dorado. It is definitely a recipe I will reach for over and over; it is so delicious and ever so simple to make. Pour yourself a nice glass of ice cold prosecco or ice cold mineral water with fresh squeezed lime juice, and let’s begin!

INGREDIENTS:

-1 medium lemon

-4 nice, thick dorado fillets. (*I always ask for the center cuts so that the fillets are approximately an even size and thickness.)

-1& ¼ tsp coarse salt

-freshly ground black pepper

-1 clove garlic, minced finely

 -4 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces. (*If you prefer salted butter, that is fine- just remember to reduce the above amount of salt by a bit.)

-1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped, fresh parsley leaves. (*I bought a parsley plant for just $30 pesos a few weeks ago, planted it in a pot, and it has grown like a weed! So I always have fresh, organic parsley on hand to use whenever I have a recipe that calls for it.)

-Olive oil for cooking fish

 INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Slice ½ of the lemon into very thin slices, and juice the remaining half. You should have about 1& ½ Tablespoons of lemon juice.
2. Pat the Dorado fillets dry with paper towels.
3. Season the fillets all over with salt and a few grinds of pepper.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, or a cast iron skillet. Use medium-high heat to get a nice sear.
5. When the oil begins to smoke, add the Dorado, and sear the fillets undisturbed until they are well browned at the bottom, and the sides are cooked half-way up the fillets.
6. Flip the fillets and continue searing until they are JUST cooked through, and the flesh begins to flake easily. (*This usually takes just 2-4 minutes, depending on how thick your fillets are.) DO NOT OVERCOOK!
7. Transfer the prepared fillets to a serving platter.
8. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
9. To the same pan, add the lemon juice, garlic, & ¼ teaspoon of salt.
10. With a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
11. Add the lemon slices, then stir in the butter, 1 piece at a time. (* I always double the butter amount because I am a huge sauce fan!)
12. Remove the pan from the heat. Then, stir in the fresh parsley.
13. Taste the sauce and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
14. Last, pour the sauce over the Dorado, and serve immediately.

I know that you will love Dorado prepared this way! My one caution is to be certain to NOT overcook the fish. It is rich and delicate, but overcooking can cause it to become dry, tough, & rubbery.

Tonight I am trying my first attempt at making tempura shrimp and vegetables served with an Asian flavored glaze; it sounds very yummy! Stay tuned for my next column. If the tempura is great, I will definitely be sharing it with you.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach me at my Sayulita Life Web Page.

*Written by: Karina Shecter