Dorado with Cilantro Baja California Style
Spend any time in Baja California and you will soon learn that the Mexicans know how to cook seafood; it ain’t all enchiladas and ground beef. I caught the dorado (also known as mahi mahi or dolphinfish) in the Sea of Cortez, so I thought it only appropriate to make a Mexican dish with it.
I first saw a version of this dish from a local friend of mine but I have refined the technique here to modernize the dish. The recipe requires a lot of cilantro — two standard bunches from the supermarket. But if you hate cilantro, use parsley.
And while mahi mahi is not hard to find in the market, you can substitute yellowtail, striped bass, white seabass, a big snapper (what my buddy uses in the original version), or Grouper. You want a pretty firm fish here, and not an especially fatty one.
Serves 4
2-3 pounds mahi mahi, yellowtail, striped bass or snapper
1 large onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
Salt and black pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-5 fire-roasted jalapenos, preserved in vinegar (or pickled jalapenos)
1 1/2 to 2 cups of cilantro
1/3 cup lime juice or lemon juice
2 tablespoons white vine vinegar
8 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the fish into serving portions and salt it well. Set it aside.
Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a saute pan and saute the onions over high heat until they get a little charred on the edges.
Find a casserole or lidded pot just large enough to hold all the fish. Pour the lime juice into the pot and lay down half the onions.
Put the fish pieces on the onions, then lay the rest of the onions over the fish and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Cover with foil or the lid. Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on how thick the fish pieces are.
Meanwhile, buzz the garlic, jalapenos, white wine vinegar and all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a food processor until it is pureed. Drizzle in the remaining olive oil with the motor running.
When the fish is cooked, serve by laying down some of the cilantro sauce and topping each plate with some onions. The fish goes on the onions, and you can top with a little more sauce and the remaining chopped cilantro.
BEWARE: Please beware of the guys in the street selling boat charters. If you wait till the day you are fishing and go to the dock where your boat is many times people will mislead you to another boat or dock trying to put you on a boat that was not meant for you. You need to have a person guide you to your boat, who is from a reputable charter company. This way there is no confusion or misleading. Please remember when renting Sport fishing boats in Cabo that you rent your boat from reputable and established business. Walk into a fishing fleet office and ask questions about what you are getting and what are the costs? You dont want to rent boats from vendors in the streets and you do not want to book through shady websites offering you the world. Check through travel forums about reputable fishing fleets to deal with. Look for testimonials about the fleet your booking your charter with. Ask about what will the boat be supplying? Will it include beverages or lunches? How much does it cost to fillet your catch? Check to see if charter boat is insured? Ask about getting your catch smoked? Check cost of fishing license. These are just a few things to consider when booking your charter boat. We will be talking more about this in next weeks fishing report. Until next time good fishing and we hope to see you in Cabo soon. Come by the office here in Cabo and get all the latest up to date fishing report. http://www.jcsportfishing.com http://youtu.be/tSXN6pifQyQ
Craig Leonard
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Century 21 Los Cabos Real Estate
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