Blackened Tuna

A couple months ago, we posted the recipe for blackened grilled mahi mahi with mango salsa.  Two nights ago, we made Blackened Tuna with the same salsa.  In our opinion, it was way better than the mahi mahi.  We posted the picture on social media and a few people asked for the recipe.  So, here's a short recipe.

Refer to Blackened Mahi to get the recipe for the mango salsa and the recipe for the blackening seasoning. When we made the blackened Mahi, we used a grill pan.  While that was fine, we definitely now believe that blackened anything is better done in a skillet.

We have discovered that Sam's Club has great prices on wild tuna steaks.  They sell it in a pre-portioned bag with each piece individually frozen.  It's perfect when cooking for a group of any size because you can take out the exact amount you need, and don't end up wasting anything.

Ingredients:
Tuna Steaks (ours were  1/2 inch thick)
Blackening Seasoning
Mango Salsa
2-4 tablespoons Canola or Vegetable oil

Directions:
Rub fish generously on all sides with the blackened seasoning.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Heat stainless skillet to medium high. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until oil start to shimmer.  Add tuna steaks to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip the Steaks and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Top with mango salsa and serve immediately.  We didn't have any peppers, so our salsa consisted of just mango, cucumber, and onion, and it was still delicious.  Something I have learned from Mr. S (who is amazing at utilizing the ingredients we have) - if you don't have everything, improvise!  Turns out, some of our best recipes have actually come about that way.

NOTE:  The cooking time is HIGHLY dependent on desired doneness and the thickness of the fish you are using.  We cooked ours about 2.5 minutes on the first side and another min on the second for a medium done tuna.  Next time, we will probably cook it a little less.

Last, but certainly not least:  I have to give a shout out to Mr. S!  Didn't he take some amazing shots of our food???  After a whirlwind year and a half of engagement, marriage, honeymooning, and settling into our lives and newlyweds, we have finally returned to one of our favorite mutual hobbies (besides cooking of course), photography!  More photos to come from Mr. and Mrs. S!

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.