Coconut Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi {Gluten Free or regular}

From the ocean…to our table….Now THAT’S what we’re talking about.

Remember THIS 40 pound Mahi Mahi catch?

Well, besides being the highlight of my boys’ summer—That catch turned into approximately 32 fabulous meals!  {Four meals, each serving eight people (my family and my parents!)}
We loved every one of them, and I plan to share at least one more recipe here, but today–I just have to share this Coconut Macadamia Crusted fish recipe.  It is SO good, and soooo Hawaii!

If you don’t have Mahi Mahi nearby, don’t fret–You can use any flakey white fish.  I think halibut would be great–but feel free to try something else.

My Mom and I were playing around with an old recipe she had, and we tried it two ways:  One we dipped in flour and egg, then a panko/coconut/macadamia crust before cooking, and the other we substituted a Gluten free flour combination, eggs, and then Gluten free bread crumbs in place of Panko (my dad has Celiac Disease so we do a lot of GF when they are here!)

The recipe is really simple, though there are a few steps, so being organized in advance is the key.  Also, we cooked some in olive oil stove top, and broiled some.  Honestly–both were great.  I like to broil because it is less messy, but there may be a tad more crunch when you fry it.

Marinating the fish in either pineapple juice or our local Huli Huli sauce for at least an hour was the first step.  **We love Huli Huli, but I am guessing you can’t get Huli Huli sauce everywhere.  (Does anyone from outside Hawaii get Huli Huli sauce at your local grocery store?)  If you’re not familiar with it, Huli Huli is similar to a teriyaki sauce, but has a very liquid consistency…it’s used a lot here for marinating chicken, etc.  Both marinades worked out just fine!

Then the fish goes on to the dipping assembly line:  FLOUR, eggs, then the panko/coconut/mac nut/seasoning mix.

Finally, it is either fried in hot oil, or broiled on high for about 10-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  (Ours was pretty thick.)
This fish has such a great flavor, and texture–you’ll love it!!

The first time, we served it simply with brown rice, and salad.  (We were so focused on getting the fish right we didn’t want to complicate our lives with the details…)
The next time, we went with stir-fried vegetables, and—Mmmmmashed potatoes.  Hello yumminess:

A pretty perfect tropical dinner if you ask me.

Can’t you almost just taste that sweet/salty/crunchy/nutty crust?

I hope you’ll try this!  You can always play with the crust–switch it up depending on what your family likes and what you have available.  If you don’t have mac nuts, you could try another crushed nut as well.

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Coconut Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi {Gluten Free or regular}

Cuisine Dinner

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS:
• 4-6 filets of Mahi Mahi
• Pineapple juice or Huli Huli sauce for marinade.
• 1 cup flour for coating fish
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1/4 cup Japanese style Panko or GF bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup crushed macadamia nuts
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 2 T olive oil for pan-frying

Instructions

1. Place fish in a baggie or container with either Pineapple juice or Huli Huli sauce to fully cover it. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to marinade.
2. Prepare three bowls for coating fish:
3. ONE with flour (or for gluten free version--use your choice of gluten free flour substitutes--we used coconut flour.)
4. ONE with three beaten eggs
5. ONE with combination of panko (or GF bread crumbs,) chopped mac nuts, shredded coconut, as well as Salt and Pepper and Paprika.
6. Turn on broiler to high, or put oil in pan and place over medium-high.
7. Coat each piece of fish in flour on all sides. Then dip in eggs so that it is well coated. Next dip in the coconut/macadamia nut mixture and make sure that all sides are thoroughly covered.
8. Place fish on broiler pan, or in hot oil on stove top. If broiling, watch it closely, but it should be done in close to ten minutes. IF frying, cook two-three minutes per side and check to see when it is flakey. *Don't over cook!
9. ENJOY!!!

This fish would also be excellent topped with a mango salsa.

I’m thinking that THIS summer dessert would go pretty perfectly with this fish too!

With MUCH ALOHA to you all!

Monica