Lemon Butter Mahi & Glazed Carrots
A fresh, light, and photogenic springtime dish
This is a main that could pair with a different side, or a side that could accompany a different main, but since you’re making the lemon compound butter, you might as well spread it all over everything.
Ingredients
2 mahi filets, skin-on
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (if you have salted butter in the fridge already, use that. just don’t salt the compound butter when I say to below)
1/2 lemon
Bunch rainbow carrots (I love tops on for presentation points, though they aren’t crucial. this is a great item to get at the farmers market during the warmer months, but they also sell them at most grocers with tops on!)
A few tablespoons agave (honey will work here, I just prefer the smokey element to agave, plus, It pours way easier than honey unless you are some kind of fancy millionaire who owns a honey pot)
Instructions
Let 3 tablespoons of butter come up to spreadable temperature in a bowl. When it is room temp, grate in the zest of about a half of a lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and juice one half into the bowl. Lightly salt the butter and crack in some pepper. Mix all up and set aside.
Get your mahi filets out of the fridge and salt them on both sides. Lay them skin side up on a plate and set aside. Rinse and scrub your carrots, and cut them in half lengthwise (so you can see the inside of the carrot and it’s just as long as when you started). If they are really long and won’t fit laying flat in the skillet you plan to use, them cut them if half to halve the length of them as well.
Get some neutral oil working in that skillet on medium heat. Lay the carrots flat side down in the skillet and let them sizzle for a bit. After a few minutes, check the bottoms with some tongs and look for a crispy golden blistered look.
Once you have it, flip the carrots and sprinkle with salt. Dollop on about 1/3 of your compound butter over all the carrots in little spots. Cover the skillet for about 5 minutes while they steam. After 5 or so minutes, drizzle them generously with the honey or agave. Cover again and let steam for a minute or so.
Remove them and set them aside. Add some more oil in the pan, and place the filets, skin side down, into the skillet. Paint the remainder of the lemon compound butter onto the tops of the filets and cover the skillet. Let them cook until alllllmost all of the filets are opaque (check after about 5-6 minutes depending on their thickness), and just a tiny touch of pink remains (they will keep cooking through when you plate).
Pull them out and plate (those skins should not stick!) with the carrots. Also pictured here with my tea-steeped wild rice (recipe coming soon!)
Note: A lot of people don’t like to eat the skin, but even if you don’t, the beauty of this method is that you protect the fish meat from overcooking or falling apart in the pan, and you infuse all the fatty juices into the meat. I looooove to eat the crispy skin, I think it tastes like a crispy little fishy potato chip.
