Alton Brown’s Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi

I made this recipe for Father’s Day. Big Bad Dad goes to La Paz, Mexico every year to fish. He always brings back a great deal of mahi mahi, so I’m always on the outlook for a good recipe.

I made a gluten free variation of this dish, since my mother-in-law is visiting and she has celiac sprue disease and couldn’t eat the panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and flour. I used crushed gluten free corn flakes and rice flour. The corn flakes gave the fish a nice flavor and went well with the macadamia nuts. If I couldn’t find the panko (yes, my local Safeway does carry it) I’d use the cornflakes instead.

Panko is really interesting, too. It soaked up the coconut milk and turned fluffy after baking the fish. Cool stuff, so I’ll have to look into using panko in other dishes as well.

So next time your local fish store is having a mahi mahi sale, or you want something decadent but easy to make, try Alton Brown’s Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi dish!

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003

Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings User Rating:

5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) coarsely ground, roasted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for brushing foil
4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons coconut milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts, panko, flour, and butter. Set aside.

Episode#: EA1G14
Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it liberally with vegetable oil. Place the mahi mahi on the foil and sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each fillet with the coconut milk. Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the 4 fillets, patting the mixture to spread and adhere to the fillets. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.