A Delicious Surprise: Greek-Style MahiMahi with Toasted Orzo with Saffron & Fennel

I think this is more than once I've said that my proficiency with fish is lacking.  One week I knew I wanted to make fish, but I wanted to try something new.  So I did what I always do in this situation and turned to my back issues of Gourmet (RIP) and found a rather interesting recipe.  It sounded interesting because it paired fish with cheese.  For some odd reason, fish and cheese just doesn't seem appetizing.  I mean, I love tuna melts, which pairs fish with cheese.  I also greatly enjoyed tuna-noodle casserole when I was little, which also paired fish with cheese.  I see, now, that both of these examples use tuna paired with cheese and not other kinds of fish, which is where it's left me feeling rather iffy.  I can't think of any other examples.  But, it sounded really good and I loved the sound of the side dish, but I'll get to that later.

I took a leap of faith in Gourmet's test kitchens and chefs and decided to give this a try.  I was pleasantly surprised when I went to have a taste and it was delicious.  The cheese, which is feta, actually wasn't that powerful and, when paired with lemon, mayonnaise and dill, it doesn't get in the way of the fish.  In fact, that's another issue I had with this recipe beforehand, which was baking the fish covered in mayonnaise.  For some odd reason, that seems weird to me.  I think it's because I can't pull mayonnaise away from its parts.  Eggs and fish?  I just can't visualize that tasting good, but, like I said, I was pleasantly surprised with this fish.  It had a ton of flavor and the fish was extremely tender.  In the end, I really enjoyed the dish a lot and will definitely make it again.

Like I said earlier, one of the reasons I wanted to make the mahimahi was because of the side dish:  toasted orzo with saffron and fennel.  I, for one, love orzo (my mom is not a fan; she expects rice, but it's pasta!).  It's pasta you can easily eat with a spoon.  I've only made it a few times, but this was one of the first times I made it with an actual recipe; I wasn't flying by the seat of my pants.  I also love fennel.  I'm a huge fan of black licorice and anything anise-y.  I usually make my Christmas biscotti with more anise than necessary just because I love that flavor.  I was really pleased with how this side dish came out. It had a great flavor and wasn't super heavy, like rice tends to be.  The flavors were really fresh and light and went perfectly with the fish.

Oh yeah - the mayonnaise sauce on the fish:  I would eat it with a spoon - so delicious!


Greek-Style Mahimahi
Serves 4


3 Medium-sized Tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
2 Tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
4 (6-oz) Mahimahi fillets, with skin
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
3 Tablespoons Fresh Mint, chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
8 Very Thin Lemon Slices

1.  Preheat broiler.
2.  Toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
3.  Line broiler pan or small 4-sided sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly oil fish.  Put fish, skin sides down, on pan and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
4.  Whisk together mayonnaise, feta, herbs, and lemon juice and spread over top of fish.  Put 2 lemon slices (slightly overlapping) on the center of each fillet.  Drizzle lemon slices with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil.

5.  Broil fish 8 inches from the heat until just cooked through, 14-16 minutes.  If topping browns before fish is cooked, cover loosely with foil.
6.  Serve with tomatoes.
Credit:  Gourmet, June 2009, pg 59.




Toasted Orzo with Saffron and Fennel
Serves 4-6 (side dish)


1/4 teaspoons Saffron Threads, crumbled
1 Tablespoon Boiling-hot Water
2 Cups of Water
1/2 Cup Red Onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1-1/2 Cup Orzo (about 9 oz)
1 Cup Fennel Bulb, chopped (from one small bulb)
2 Tablespoons Fennel Fronds, chopped

1.  Soften saffron in 1 tablespoon of boiling water and set aside.
2.  Cook onion in oil in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.  Add orzo and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2-4 minutes.

3.  Stir in saffron mixture, remaining 2 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until orzo is just tender and liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.
4.  Sprinkle fennel bulb over orzo and let stand, covered, off heat for 5 minutes.
5.  Stir fennel bulb into orze, then serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.
Credit:  Gourmet, June 2009, pg. 59.


bon appetit!