Ingredients
Fish
- 4 6-ounce skinless, boneless mahi mahi fillets 680 g total; thawed and about 1 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil 27 g
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 3 g
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 0.5 g
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 g
- 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 g
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 30 g
- 2 tablespoons water 30 ml
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 4 g
- lemon slices optional garnish, not included in nutrition
Equipment
- 1 large heavy skillet
- 1 thin fish spatula
- 1 Instant-read food thermometer
Instructions
Sear and sauce
- Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator according to its package directions, including opening or removing vacuum packaging as directed. Pat dry. Season with the measured salt and pepper. Prepare the garlic, lemon juice and parsley before cooking.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, not smoking heavily. Add the fish with room between pieces; work in two batches if necessary. Cook about 3–5 minutes on the first side until browned and releasing readily.
- Turn gently and cook about 2–5 minutes more, adjusting heat as needed, until each fillet reaches 145°F (63°C) in its thickest part. Timing varies with thickness. Move cooked portions to a clean plate.
- Reduce heat to low. Add butter and garlic and stir briefly, about 30 seconds, without burning the garlic. Add lemon juice and water, scrape up golden cooking residue, and simmer briefly. Stir in parsley.
- Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately. Add optional lemon slices if desired. Do not keep simmering cooked fillets in the sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 fillet with sauce (1/4 batch)Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 1.2gProtein: 31.7gFat: 13.7gSaturated Fat: 4.8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6.8gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 442mgPotassium: 730mgFiber: 0.1gCalcium: 33mgIron: 2.1mg
Video
Notes
Video credit: Jessica Randhawa, The Forked Spoon. Her official demonstration uses the same pan-seared mahi mahi and lemon-garlic-butter method. Butter, garlic and lemon amounts differ, and capers are optional in her version. Follow this card's quantities and FDA-aligned 145°F (63°C) fish temperature, rather than the lower endpoint stated in her linked written recipe.
Nutrition is an ingredient-sum estimate per fillet with one-quarter of the sauce, using USDA SR Legacy mahi mahi 171959 (680 g), olive oil 171413 (27 g), butter 173430 (28 g), lemon juice 167747 (30 g), garlic 169230 (6 g), parsley 170416 (4 g), salt 173468 (3 g) and pepper 170931 (0.5 g). All measured cooking fat is counted, though some may remain in the pan. Total sugar is unavailable for the selected fish record and is omitted rather than treated as zero. Cooking-sensitive vitamins and unavailable trans fat are omitted. Optional lemon slices and side dishes are excluded; cost is not estimated.
Refrigerate promptly within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days as a conservative plan. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
