Beach Cottage Mahi Bowl Meal

The Beach Cottage renovation is virtually finished, and now all I have to do is find everything I packed away and try to integrate the old with the new.  Not to mention figuring out how to get used to operating the new equipment. 

We've never had gas cooking out here on the island, so after 28 years of preparing meals on an electric stove, here we go!  As promised, here is a recipe and photos of the yummy Mahi-Mahi that was presented to me by the Captain, and cooked up on my new gas range:

We actually call Mahi-Mahi by the East Coast name of Dolphin...in the Keys, they call it Dorado sometimes.  This is what the fish looks like, so that you don't confuse it with the Dolphin mammal, aka "Flipper"!

This is my oldest son with a big Bull Dolphin, aka Mahi, caught on an Ocean Isle Fishing Center boat.

Mahi recipes are all over the map, as it is a very sweet tasting fish which people love, and it also freezes beautifully.  We always freeze the filets or chunks in quart Zip-Loc bags, with the fish surrounded by water.  When I thawed out the fish for our Mahi Fish Bowl, I simply put the bag in fairly warm water until the fish/ice block could be removed from the bag.  Then I let the block sit in lukewarm water until the pieces could be pried apart without breaking.  Once they were pliable, I cut them into strips or chunks about 2 x 3 inches each.  


Mahi takes awhile to cook through, so it is easier to get a consistent texture if you cut it up into small pieces.  Like this:

This photo, used on several sites, shows the dark red bloodline - I ALWAYS remove the bloodline.

When we want to just chill out in front of the TV and watch Deadliest Catch, we've found that the best way to eat is simply out of a Bowl.  That is, everything piled into one bowl, so you can curl up in your favorite spot and not be spilling something off a flat plate when the Time Bandit takes a rogue wave.  


Keep it simple - a couple of main ingredients, with condiments or accents piled on the side, and all presented on top of steamed rice is about all you'll need, other than soy sauce and, for me - always - Rooster Sauce!  I can't eat without it.

This stuff is HOT.  It's made by a company named Huy Fong, out of California.  How it started is quite a story, and you can read about it Here.  The image came from their website, Huy Fong Foods.

But, back to the recipe.  Here are the ingredients for the Asian Flour:
     Self-Rising Flour - about a cup or so.  Sometimes I cut it with some cornstarch
     Sea Salt - you can sprinkle this on the fish, but I  just put it in the flour-not too much!
     Garlic Powder - to your taste, but not too much or it will overpower the Mahi
     Ginger Powder - about a teaspoon
     Black or Regular Roasted Sesame seeds - about a quarter cup
     Assi Brand Coarse Pepper Powder - a heaping tablespoon, at the minimum

You can get this at any Asian market - I use it in a lot of my cooking...including Pinto Beans!

For the oil, I use 2/3 Peanut Oil, 1/3 Olive Oil.  Just get it hot, dredge your Mahi in the flour, and slip it in.  Turn once after the first side has turned golden.  You know it's done when a fork inserted in the fish will turn easily...don't overcook, but be sure it is done through.  Some fish is good on the medium rare side, but not Mahi.

Here is my new range, going full blast on our Mahi Bowl Meal:

Meanwhile, just oven-blast some fresh broccoli:

Thaw out some frozen Tobiko (the roe of Flying Fish-available at Asian Markets) if you like, 

and re-hydrate some Seaweed or buy Seaweed Salad at your local Asian Market.  Scoop out some fresh steamed rice, put it in the bowl and top with your Mahi and other condiments.  

Turn on Deadliest Catch, pour the wine, grab your chopsticks and go!

Fabulous Food in an El Paso Barn

Okay, I know my Blog is geographically located in North Carolina and Georgia.  But, let's take a pleasant side trip to the Home/Barn of Richard & Helen Knopp in El Paso, Texas.  Helen is my Husband's sister, and she has the impish look of their Father, Harold.

Same twinkly eyes, same engaging grin.  Not to mention the freckles.

From a very early age, Helen has been stone-cold in love with Horses.

Meet Ladie Zortanna, her current horse-love and Dressage Partner.

And, she has a son, Troy Williams, who is stone-cold in love with the preparation and presentation of fabulous foods and wines.  Never mind that he is a Corporate Suit during the day - after he clocks out, he dons his REAL uniform and rocks the kitchen.  Take a look:

Here is Troy with Rosie, his  Sous-Chef for the Barn Dinner, in the trenches with their tools and raw materials near at hand.

 Helen & Richard love to entertain close friends and family, and knew they could call on Troy to stage an all-out dinner in the Barn amongst the horses, with numerous courses and lots of wine.  After some Serious Barn Cleaning, the stage was set and ready for the props:

The setting of the Dining Table in front of the stalls is watched with great anticipation...the horses are certain that all this fuss and attention to detail is being done just for them.

 As the sun drifted towards the horizon, the participants gathered in the sweet evening air, and the event began.

The table was adorned with a Southwestern floral arrangement, and place cards that were die-cut specifically for the dinner.  See the little horses on top? 

The lovely meal begins with a soup composition.

 
The evening progressed with the participation of the horses, who were simply delighted that their humans had organized this event for them:

Swapping kisses for the Gruet.

They looked on as lovely, lovely compositions were served by Chef Troy:

 

There was no photo for the Seventh Course, which was a Spanish Surf 'n Turf.  Sounds yummy, of course.  So I inserted a photo of our intrepid and very talented chef, who is serving after all that work with the utter delight on his face that comes from following his passion.  Forget the hard work, this is what he loves to do.  And it shows.

All good things must come to an end, but what satisfaction is on these faces!

 Kudos to Troy, and to Richard and Helen for sharing your photos with us for this blog.  I am always delighted to see an artist at work - the energy and passion and sheer happiness in the final result is just, well, Stone-Cold fabulous!

Beach Cottage Decor - Shopping List

It's time to resume "Normal Life" and the Beach Cottage Renovation.  When I walk back in there tomorrow night, the floors should be refinished and gorgeous, and we'll be ready to place the furniture back where it belongs and start unpacking boxes.  Meantime, I've been thinking about how to accessorize our new updated look, and find myself falling for looks like this:

I love the idea of using these glasses for wine - I found them at Berry Red.

 Also love the look of this sideboard - and you just KNOW that I will be making the Giant Clamshell myself...

The Guest Bathrooms will need new shower curtains, and they'll also need new hooks - these are perfect for the look I'm going for:

I also found these at Berry Red - my newest online fave store to browse.  Don't you love the retro look of these?

I can hardly wait to haul my big belt sander up from the basement and sand the top of my dining room table down to the wood.

Okay, so you can't really see the table, but it is painted white.

And, because we cook so much with fresh produce from local farmers, I need one of these:

I'm so happy with the palette I've chosen, and can hardly wait to start integrating my old accessories in with the new - not to mention firing up my new gas stove and grill!

The King Mackerel, Sea Bass, Mahi-Mahi, and Spanish Mackerel are biting off the coast right now, and I WILL be sending Husband off to fish...recipes to follow!