Mahi-Mahi
Mahi-mahi is the Hawaiian name for a fish found in warm oceans worldwide, including in the Gulf of Mexico. Its other names are dorado and dolphinfish. I think the confusion caused by that latter name is why we use the Hawaiian one instead. Dolphinfish only look like dolphins--the marine mammal with so much brain power that it can train humans to gather around its tank and bring it fish. The dolphinfish, however, is a true fish.
It is a great food fish. First of all, we don't have to worry too much about its survival as a species. Mahi-mahi breeds and grows so fast that only an intensive effort could dent its population seriously. (Although they seem to be pushing it hard in South America.)
My first taste of mahi-mahi came neither in New Orleans nor Hawaii, but in San Francisco. Mason's, a faux-Polynesian restaurant in the basement of the Fairmont Hotel, burned kiawe wood (the Hawaiian name for mesquite) in a grill. There they cooked several fish species from Hawaii. The waiter touted me on the mahi-mahi. It was white with the faintest blush of pink, and had a firm, meaty texture. I thought it one of the best grilled fish I ever ate, and savored it as an exotic experience not likely to be duplicated at home. It wasn't two weeks before I did see it on a New Orleans menu. And it's been around ever since.
Mahi-mahi is a very good fish for the grill. It needs little preparation beyond a dusting of Creole seasoning--although I think it benefits from an hour's marinating in a blend of olive oil, white wine, and lemon juice, to break it down a bit. (It is a chewier fish than most, especially in the thick part of the fillet.)
Mahi (it's on first-name basis with most waiters and chefs now) can also be broiled to very fine effect. For either grilling or broiling, you want fillets that are at least three-quarters of an inch thick in the center. I prefer fillets to steaks of this fish, although both are found.
The sauce should be something simple, like a beurre blanc or the lighter forms of meuniere sauce. Or some sweet-spicy relish-like salsa like the one I give you below.
The one problem you sometimes find with mahi is that some chefs are not careful enough about removing blood lines and tough parts. Also, I find mahi-mahi's quality is hit unusually hard by freezing, which seems to dry the fish out. It must be very fresh.
