“The arrival of sunny spring days has me eyeing our gas grill. The thought of firing it up and laying plump green asparagus or the first of the years corn, then a nice juicy ribeye while enjoying a cocktail out on the deck brings a smile to my face.
The steak is going to have to take a back seat for this weeks recipe, because we found these absolutely beautiful mahimahi filets at our local specialty grocer. Mahi and other sport fish like swordfish or wahoo have large enough filets to cut nice steaks; however, since they are warm water carnivorous fish they have a higher chance of microorganisms and consequently, they need to be cooked well.
Stone ground grits from Anson Mills are a wonderful product, rich in taste and a wonderful texture that can hold their own while being paired with the grilled mahi. Adding herbs brings the grits to a whole different level. You can choose to add butter and cheese to them to make the grits more ‘southern’ but we thought it was fine without.
It is my opinion, it is too early in the season to appreciate corn, but we were far too impatient to wait for July to enjoy some corn. Simply seasoning the corn with salt, pepper, and olive oil and grilling will bolster the flavor of early ears of corn.
Over the course of my culinary career I have melted more then a few spatulas. A lot of cheaper, run-of-the-mill spatulas claim to be heat resistant but melt and deform after one use. This fish style heat resistant spatula is great for flipping burger or fish on the grill or in a pan.” – Joe
Ingredients
- 2 – 6 ounce filets of MahiMahi
- 0.25 cup Anson Mills grits
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon thyme – chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley – chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
- 0.5 cup white cheddar – shredded (optional)
- 2 ears corn – peeled, rubbed with olive oil and seasoned
- 1.5 cup shiitake mushrooms – stem removed and sliced
- 1.5 cup snap peas – tipped and tailed, cut in half
- 1 clove garlic – minced
Directions
- Preheat the grill.
- Rub the filet of Mahi with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring the water up to a boil in heavy bottomed pot. Once boiling, add the grits, salt, and pepper, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for approximately an hour or until soft, add the herbs and the optional ingredients.
- Once the grill is hot, place the corn and fish (skin side down) on the grill and cook. Rotate the corn every minute or so until all sides are lightly charred.
- Flip the fish after about four minutes and cook for an additional four or until the fish is flaky and cooked through.
- Take the corn inside and cut it off the cob, and set aside.
- In a large skillet on medium high heat, add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan and add the garlic and mushrooms, roast the mushrooms until golden brown stirring occasionally, about five minutes.
- Add in the snap peas and cook for another four minutes. Add the corn and take the pan off the heat.
- Scoop a portion of grits into the bottom of a bowl, add a generous amount of the mushroom and corn sauté, then place the fish on top to plate.