With the gastronomic success of Victor’s Pasta Monday I think I’m going to start Seafood Thursday.

I really do want to get more fish into our diet and the only way to do it is to make it part of an actual plan.  My normal cooking style is to open the cupboards and see what’s in them.  I generally just buy ingredients without a clear plan for what I’m going to do with them.  It works for me because I usually don’t know on Monday what I’m going to want to eat on any other given day of the week and having a well-stocked larder gives me options – or forces me into things because I have produce that needs eating that day!

I think Seafood Thursday will be a fun way to actually plan a recipe every week.

Today’s Seafood Thursday Concept came compliments of Cooking Light magazine.

The August issue had a recipe for Mahi Mahi with a Bacon Tomato Butter.  It was intriguing, but it called for brining the fish in a sugar and salt solution.  That just sounded silly to me, so I omitted that first step.  It also called for adding two tablespoons of butter to the finished tomatoes and bacon.  I love butter probably more than the next guy, but I didn’t see a need to add butter to something that already had bacon fat in it.  I know…  silly me.

I served it on a bed of fresh spinach sauteed in a drizzle of olive oil, with salt, pepper, and garlic.  I really like plating things atop others.  Besides being very visually appealing – the whole eat with your eyes concept – It just makes things taste good.

My tomatoes were “brown tomatoes” – not plums – and I didn’t seed them.  Nor did I add the 2 tablespoons of butter.

There’s the Cooking Light recipe.  Play with it as you wish.  I really do recommend the smoked paprika, though.  Go buy some.  It’s great in a lot of things!

Mahi Mahi with Bacon-Tomato Butter

Look for American mahimahi that were caught using the pole/troll method, as this fishing practice has the least negative impact on the waters where they’re caught, and it yields the freshest fish.

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

  • 2  cups  water
  • 1  tablespoon  fine sea salt
  • 2  teaspoons  sugar
  • 4  (6-ounce) mahimahi fillets
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4  teaspoon  table salt, divided
  • 1  slice center-cut bacon, finely chopped
  • 1  garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1/4  teaspoon  hot smoked paprika
  • 2  plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 2  tablespoons  butter

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish, stirring until sea salt and sugar dissolve; add fish. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain; pat dry.

2. Prepare charcoal fire in a chimney starter; let coals burn for 15 to 20 minutes or until flames die down. Carefully pour hot coals out of starter, and pile them onto one side of the grill. Coat grill grate with cooking spray; put grate in place over coals.

3. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon table salt evenly over fish. Lightly coat fish with cooking spray. Place fish, skin side down, over direct heat on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes or until well marked. Turn fish over and move to indirect heat; grill 12 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

4. Heat a small skillet over medium heat; add bacon to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until bacon is almost crisp, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add paprika, and cook for 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in butter. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon table salt. Place 1 fillet on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 2 tablespoons tomato mixture.

I wonder what next Thursday will bring…..