This time of year, strawberries are in peak season in Florida, and I’ve been busy coming up with recipes incorporating the beautiful berries I recently picked at a U-Pick farm. Getting them off the vine is a real treat – there’s nothing like chomping into a fresh, pristine berry that’s been warmed by the sun. So good! But even if you can’t pick them yourself, the berries available at farmer’s markets and supermarkets are really good (and well priced because they’re in season). Basically, I can’t get enough of these things!
There are so many sweet dessert options for berries, but I also love incorporating them into savory elements to create something tasty. This salsa combines sweet strawberries, juicy mango, fresh mint, lemony basil and a little vinegar to give it some zing. I used it to top hot, blackened Mahi Mahi and it was the perfect pairing. The sweet, juicy berries and mango, along with a little burst of mint and basil nicely complemented the tender, spicy fish. My husband said it was one of his favorite fish dishes, and that’s high praise, since he’s eaten lots of fresh fish 🙂
Here’s a pic of Brendan with some Mahi Mahi (sometimes called ‘Dolphin Fish’) he caught in the Gulf of Mexico.
I love Mahi Mahi – it’s a species that’s abundant, fast-growing and quite beautiful (i.e., it lights up with neon colors when hooked, so it’s awesome to see). This fish is fun to catch because it gives you a good fight and if you find ONE, you’re likely to find more because it loves to gather in schools. The flavor is delicate and a little sweet — so delicious.
Not only was this dish colorful and pretty on the finished dish, it all came together in less than 20 minutes!
- 1 c. fresh strawberries, small dice
- ¼ c. fresh mango, small dice
- 1 Tb. red onion, minced
- 1 tsp. red chile, seeded and minced
- 3-4 mint leaves, thinly sliced
- 3-4 basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tb. olive oil
- 1 Tb. red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp. granulated sugar
- 1 lb. Mahi Mahi fillets (or any other white, flaky fish - enough for 2-3 servings)
- 1 Tb. blackening seasoning (I used Paul Prudhomme’s Redfish Magic)
- 1 Tb. unsalted butter
- 1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
- Combine all the Salsa ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 15 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle fillets with blackening seasoning on both sides.
- Heat a nonstick skillet to medium/high. Add butter and olive oil. When warm, carefully place fillets. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Turn fish and cook for another minute or so. (Mahi fillets are relatively thin, so they don’t require a lot of cooking time.)
- Serve with the Salsa.
Several of my fav foods together!
This one was really tasty. I hope you give it a try 🙂
Two Irishmen went out fishing on St Patrick’s Day . . . Sounds like the makings of a great joke, but as luck would have it they caught a couple Mahi. So we had fresh Mahi with the Strawberry, Mango, Mint Salsa last night. My husband, Jim, is not a Mahi lover but last night as he savored the spicy blackened Mahi with the sweet and flavorful salsa he declared this to be THE ONLY way to have Mahi. He loved it and I am happy to have Mahi back in our dining rotation. Thank you Shawn and Jim for a delicious meal.
Boy, you can’t get much fresher than right off the boat! I love Mahi, and am glad it’s back in the Cox dinner rotation 🙂
Don’t you LOVE it when you slice open a strawberry and it’s red right through to the center? This recipe has all my favorite ingredients. Yum yum.
Strawberries have been so beautiful lately – the ones in this recipe were picked 2 days earlier out of the warm Florida sunshine 🙂
The combination of the spicy, blackened fish and the sweet strawberry, mango and mint salsa sounds delicious! Now, to find some strawberries! Yum!
The strawberries have been so sweet and juicy lately – I’m sure you won’t have trouble finding them! This is really tasty – let me know how it turns out!
I can’t wait to try it for my next guests. I pinned it as usual. Thanks Nicole.
Thanks Joyce! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Love your recipes! I love the way you incorporate seasonal fruits and veggies with these delicious Florida fish. Will definitely try this.
Definitely give it a try while these delicious strawberries are in season!
I have been anxiously waiting to see what fun recipe you would be sharing using strawberries this week. This looks absolutely delicious! I have some Mahi in my freezer so I will take it out and try this. Maybe some of that strawberry chocolate icebox cake that you made on TV this week for dessert!
I think you’ll like it, Wendy. It was VERY tasty with the hot blackened fish 🙂