Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

It's been a long time since we have posted to the blog - I guess we'll chalk that up to the busy days of summer....and the fact that we've been doing a long of grilling/salads to prevent heating up the house!  Although we have been using spices and lettuce from our garden for quite a while, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers....and can't wait to
use them in new recipes.

As with many recipes/foods....this recipe is more than just tasty...it has the ability to transport us to some of our happiest days....our honeymoon in Tortola (BVI).  While we were on Tortola, we ate LOTS of fresh fish, including Mahi with mango salsa.  We recently revisited these memories when we took our dad out to a Caribbean inspired fish restaurant for Father's Day, but, until now, had never tried to recreate the dish at home.  I'm happy to say it turned out wonderfully, and we will definitely be making it again!

Blackened Seasoning 

1 tablespoon paprika

4 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

In a small jar with a lid, combine the paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, and cumin. Seal securely and shake to blend. Store in a cool dry place. Shake jar before each use.

If you would rather, you can buy Blackened Seasoning - we recommend Zataran's.  We decided to make our own from some of our favorite McCormick spices.

Mango Salsa

1 1/2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
1/3 cup diced red onion

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

1/2 large red bell pepper diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to tastes

Combine all mangoes, cucumber, jalepeno, onion, kiwi, red bell pepper, and cilantro in a bowl.  Toss with lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Blackened Mahi Mahi

Rub fish generously on all sides with the blackened seasoning.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Fish can be grilled on the BBQ, cooked on a grill man inside, or cooked in a frying pan.  It really depends on your preference and whether you want the entire fish to get truly "blackened" or are content with "blackened grill marks"

It was super hot outside, so we decided to cook the fish in our grill pan.  Heat the grill pan to medium high.  Don't forget to oil the grates with canola or vegetable oil.  Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and grill for another 3 minutes.  Our pieces were rather thick and we didn't want them to burn or get dry.  So, we finished them off in our toaster oven for 3-4 minutes on bake (350 degrees).

Serve mango salsa on top of mahi mahi.