Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi with Frangelico Cream Sauce

 So as a Chef I cook roughly 280 days a year. Maybe not all day and even some days I can actually catch up on paperwork. The only problem with this is that when I take a recipe out of my leather book, or I find a new addition, I always forget to take pictures of the process. I only cook at home once a week, and sometimes it is so quickly so I can go about my day, I forget to take a picture. When I am in my restaurant kitchen coming up with the specials for the week, I am in a hurry to get back to the mounding paperwork, so I forget again. Every once in a while I am lucky enough to have friends and employees that stop me and say “Wait! Get your camera!” I got real lucky this time because the dish was so tasty it had to be posted here. This Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi came from a food journal about a year ago, but the sauce I drizzle on top is all mine and just sweet enough to make the dish explode with flavor.

Ingredients: Serves 4

Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi

4 8oz cuts of Mahi Mahi

Flour for coating fish

2 Cups Chopped Pecans

2 eggs beaten

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

                        If you can find chopped pecans this will save you some time in chopping yourself; if you need to buy whole pecans just whip them real fast in a food processor or just take a knife and chop yourself. In a medium nonstick skillet melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Remove from heat and stir in pecans until very well coated. Place your pecans on a small cookie sheet and place in oven at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove and let cool in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes.

Drain any water from your fish and coat it evenly with flour. Make sure to remove and clumping. Place the fish in the beaten eggs and then layer with the roasted pecans. Heat up a nonstick skillet with a ½ a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Brown the pecans and fish on both sides and place in your oven for about 10-14 minutes depending on your oven. The inside of the Mahi Mahi should be 135 degrees.

                        Here is my delicious concoction. When I was trying to find a nice sauce to go along with the already semi sweet fish, I only had a few items on hand. Some of which was a bit of Frangelico Liquor I haven’t used in a while, and a bottle of maple syrup I had never opened. The Frangelico adds the nutty flavor while the cream makes it creamy and thick, and the honey and maple syrup complement each other on sweetness.

Frangelico Cream Sauce

1 cup Frangelico liquor

2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 tbsp maple syrup

4 tbsp honey

                Heat the heavy cream with the Frangelico over medium low heat. Once the cream starts to bubble add the syrup and honey.  Whisk thoroughly making sure the sugar does not stick to the bottom. The cream should begin to thicken while your fish cooks. Once the fish and sauce is done place your fish on a plate and drizzle the cream all over. Mahi Mahi is a delicate yet flavorful fish which is complimented by the sweet and savory pecans, and topped off with the sweet nectar of the gods I call Frangelico Cream Sauce.

Comments

[MDY ’08, CSW]

Add colors! Other than that, they look great.