Coconut Nutmeg Mahi Mahi is Great - Hot or Cold - Solar Baked

Coconut Nutmeg Mahi Mahi Benefits from Solar Cooking

Boy, time flies! The February Royal Food Joust deadline at http://www.leftoverqueen.com/ is upon me and it's time to submit, so keep your fingers crossed for me. If you have a food blog, you can sign up and vote for me here and that would be really cool! The three contest ingredients were coconut milk, nutmeg, and any kind of fish. My first thought was to use grouper, but, when I walked by the mahi-mahi, it screamed, "ME! ME! TRY ME!" and I couldn't resist. This dinner was served hot, but with just a little rearranging, it is delicious served cold, as well.

The first hurdle was locating the coconut milk. Not to be confused with the liquid inside of a coconut, which is really coconut water (and very nutritious), canned coconut milk can be found at most well-stocked grocery stores.  Our local Harris Teeter was out of it (what?!? how many people cook with this stuff?) so I decided to  make my own Coconut Milk: To 1-1/4 cups of whole milk, add 1 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut; stir thoroughly, cover and leave overnight in refrigerator. Line a large strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place over large bowl. Gently pour coconut and milk into center of strainer, being careful not to catch
 sides of cheesecloth. When Coconut Milk is thoroughly drained into bowl, gather up edges of cheesecloth and squeeze balance of milk from coconut flakes. You can either discard the drained coconut or add it as texture in cereals.

Marinate Mahi Mahi Before Solar Cooking
Ingredients below were used in marinade, coconut rice, and sauce.
     Marinade:
1 pound Mahi Mahi (or Grouper or Fresh Cod),
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel stalks cut immediately above bulb; reserve leaf fronds for garni
1 teaspoon finely chopped green spring onion stalks; reserve bulbs with 4" of stalk intact
1/4 cup slivered carrots
1/4 cup slivered celery
1/4 teaspoon each: sweet basil, parsley, tarragon, ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon each: mace, lemon zest
     Coconut Rice:
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups water + 1/2 cup coconut milk
    Add to Mahi Mahi Before Placing in Solar Oven
2 spring onion bulbs and stalks for fish in solar oven.
1 tablespoon butter, sliced thinly
     Mahi Mahi Sauce:
1-1/2 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish liqueur
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup seedless green grapes
1 cup slivered carrots
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Phew! I hope I didn't forget anything.  We'll start with the marinade: Clean fish and place in small casserole dish or plastic bag. In small bowl, blend 1/3 cup coconut milk with all ingredients listed above Coconut Rice. Pour marinade mixture over fish, cover, and refrigerate for at least four hours. (If using vacuum-sealer at marinade setting, refrigerate for one hour.)

Prepare Coconut Rice and Carrots While Mahi Mahi is Solar Cooking
Preheat solar oven to 225F about ten minutes before removing fish from marinade. Place fish in 2-quart casserole and pour a small amount of marinade over fish. Place fennel bulbs in microwave for 2 minutes on high.

When done, remove from microwave and pie-slice down to core; place in casserole, one at each end of fish. With sharp knife, slice green tops of onions, lengthwise, leaving bulb intact, and arrange over fish. Add thinly sliced butter to tops of fish and fennel bulbs.

Place casserole in oven bag, close and secure with tie, cut off excess. Place in SolarWear(tm) Carrier and put in solar oven for approximately 45-60 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, when internal temperature nears 140F, remove fish from solar oven, as it will continue to cook during resting period.

Multi-task to Bring the Solar Cooked Coconut Mahi Mahi All Together
While fish is cooking in the solar oven, prepare the Coconut Rice, as follows: In 1-quart saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over med-high heat. Add uncooked rice and saute until rice becomes opaque with just a touch of browning at edges. Slowly add 1-1/4 cups water and 1/2 cup coconut milk, stirring while bringing to a boil. Let boil for one minute, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with fork.

Side dish of Buttered Slivered Carrots will not take long. Plan on doing it after fish is removed from solar oven and sauce is being prepared. Put 1 cup of slivered carrots in small saucepan with 1 tablespoon butter over med-low heat and allow to heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste just before serving.

Mahi Mahi Sauce - Keep fish, fennel, and onions covered until ready to use. In skillet over medium high heat, roast pine nuts in 1 tablespoon butter, until just turning brown; add 1/4 cup white wine; reduce to half. Add 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut milk, 1 teaspoon fish liquor drained from cooked fish, 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh fennel, 1/2 cup chopped pineapple, and 1/2 cup seedless green grapes. Stir until sauce is reduced and thickened and grapes are bright.

To Serve: Create rice 'nest' on plate, position one piece of mahi mahi on top. Use slotted spoon to portion fruit on side and pour small amount of sauce over fish; garnish with fennel leaf frond. Add Buttered Slivered Carrots and Fennel petal pieces.

This is the formal entry picture.  It really turned out tasty. Going to try it the next time with fresh cod. What will you do?