Mahi-mahi is the Hawaiian name, dorado is the Spanish name, Coryphaena Hippurus, is the Greek and or scientific name. Being native Floridian, and this being a native fish, we just always called them dolphin, the common name here in south Florida… It’s really not that confusing as we don’t eat bottle nose dolphin here in Florida. The context of any conversation should automatically preclude confusion and references to, cooking and cleaning, fishing and eating should be assumed describes the dolphin fish rather than the dolphin mammal. Now that we got that out of the way… Why is dolphin so popular? Well, it used to be popular because it was common, easy to catch, fun to fight, and tastes great when fresh. Fresh dolphin with salt and fresh cracked black pepper, a squeeze of lemon and then lightly grilled is hard to beat. It doesn’t need a lot. Dolphin has its own flavor profile which is unique. It is mild and it does have a sweet finish but also has a savory flavor. It is much more delicate than grouper and the size of the flake depends on the size of the fish. The key is freshness. Dolphin does not age well and when compared to other types of meat fish and it does not freeze well either. If you must freeze it vacuum seal it and eat it quick, not more than a month. Dolphin is versatile it can be eaten raw as in sushi and sashimi, its great fried and blackened and steamed and broiled and boiled and grilled and sautéed… It’s good on a sandwich and with green eggs and ham, as long as its fresh!
Dolphin is also known to have low amounts of mercury when compared to other pelagic fish. This is thought to be because of the short life span. Dolphin typically live less than five years and are among the fastest growing fish in the sea. They occur all around the globe in the tropics.
Dolphin simply grilled
- 2 serving size pieces of dolphin
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Unsalted butter
- Fresh Parsley or Cilantro
In a small bowl stir together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper. Season the fish on the top and sides with the seasoning, use it all!
Rub the seasoning on the fish on the top and sides of each filet.
Prepare your grill and oil the grates over high heat. Once hot reduce the heat to medium and place the mahi-mahi on the grill. Grill for 3-5 minutes per side until it reaches your desired doneness. Try to flip it only once or as little as possible to not break up the fish.
Remove the fish from the grill and immediately brush the tops of the fish with the melted butter.
Serve the fish immediately with grilled lemon wedges