Sauteed Mahi Mahi with Okra and Citrus Vinaigrette

I recovered from my failed attempt at making pique and chose another dish from A Return to Cooking to follow the crab salad. I should say, I eventually chose another dish. It took some time to decide with options like paella, curried napa cabbage bundles, monkfish with sofrito, and seared tuna with ratatouille all in the Puerto Rico chapter. In the end, my choice was sauteed mahi mahi with okra and citrus vinaigrette because okra is in season and abundant in Texas right now. I realize okra isn’t for everyone, but I’m a fan. I like it just slightly cooked with a little crunch, I’m happy with it fried, it’s always good stewed in gumbo, and the pickled version is a delight. Kurt, however, is a little more iffy about this vegetable. He’s not completely opposed to it, but he always needs some convincing.

For this dish, the okra was cut into half-inch pieces, and then it was simply sauteed in canola oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. The fish was seasoned with salt, pepper, and curry powder, and it was sauteed in canola oil. The vinaigrette required the most ingredients with dijon, lime zest, orange zest, lemon zest, lime juice, sherry vinegar, shallot, ginger, and canola oil. Once the vinaigrette was whisked together, seeded and diced tomatoes were added. For the presentation, the fish and okra were placed on a plate, the vinaigrette was poured over them, and tomatoes were spooned on top. I didn’t realize cooking like Eric Ripert could be so easy.

The pan sauteeing gave the fish a nice crust, and the citrus vinaigrette was a good match for the flavor of mahi mahi. Unfortunately, the curry powder got lost along the way. I didn’t taste it at all once the sauce was on the fish. However, another good match was the vinaigrette and tomatoes with the okra. The okra’s slime factor was nonexistent because the cut ends browned just slightly in the pan. Also, the brief cooking time prevented the okra from becoming mushy. I was shocked that such a simple preparation inspired Kurt to proclaim it the best okra ever. The only change I would make next time would be to sprinkle a little extra curry powder on the fish before cooking it, but this was an easily repeatable success of a dish.

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