The first time someone mentioned mahi mahi fish tacos to me, I turned up my nose and thought they had lost their mind. Seriously, fish tacos? Yuck! But, was I ever wrong and I'm certainly glad I was "brave" enough to give them a try.
My first experience with Spicy Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos was at the Ale House over in Daytona Beach, Florida. I was about 3 weeks into recovery from having extensive dental work done and my diet was still limited to soft foods. The only thing that concerned me about the dish was it was served with a red cabbage slaw, but I figured I could scrape if off if my healing gums weren't ready for that much chomping.
It was in love at first bite. I vividly remember the experience because I consumed the entire meal. It was the first "real" food I had eaten in 21 days. I savored every bite and attempted to figure out what spices the Ale House used to create this masterpiece of a taco.
Although the following recipe isn't exactly the same, it has a fabulous kick from marinade which is offset by the mildness of the Iceberg lettuce. My husband doesn't like red cabbage, so we opted for green lettuce instead. Feel free to use either because they both taste great!
GOURMET SPICY MAHI MAHI FISH TACOS
Makes: 8 tacos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinate Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
3 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce or Tabasco Sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or 1-2 teaspoons table salt)
1 Lime, juice only
1/4 wedge Iceberg Lettuce or Red Cabbage, shredded
1 medium Tomato, diced
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded (optional)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound skinless Mahi Mahi fillet, cut into two 8-ounce fillets
8 small Flour Tortillas (or 4 large if you prefer to make these into burritos)
DIRECTIONS:
1. For marinade, combine cilantro, hot sauce, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl.
2. Add mahi mahi fillets to marinade and gently toss to cover.
3. Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for one hour.
4. After fish has marinated, preheat oven to 300-degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven.
6. Add oil to 12-inch skillet and heat on medium setting until oil begins to slightly ripple.
7. Carefully add mahi mahi fillets and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side.
8. Transfer mahi mahi to a plate and separate fillets into bite-size pieces using a fork.
9. Remove tortilla shells from oven and unwrap.
10. Fill center of tortilla with mahi and top with lettuce, tomato and cheese.
11. Fold into a taco or wrap into a burrito and serve immediately.
You might also like The Cheap Gourmet's Baked Mahi Mahi Fish Recipe.
