September · San Diego
Mahi-mahi
Mahi-mahi — dorado — is a warm-water fish, and in a warm year it runs off San Diego in late summer and into the fall. It's firm, mild, and sold at most fish counters, often previously frozen. Either way, this is the month it belongs to.
How to choose it
- Firm, pinkish to off-white flesh
- Moist and glossy, with no gaps between the layers
- No dark, dull edges
- It should smell like the ocean, nothing else
Buy this much: 1½ lbs. The weekend meal, plus tacos or a rice bowl the next day.
Previously frozen mahi is often as good as fresh and usually cheaper. If the counter is out, any firm white fillet works.
During the week
- Flaked into tacos with salsa verde
- Over a rice bowl with escabeche
- Cold, the next day, with lime and salt
On a weekend
Chile-rubbed, charred, and flaked into warm tortillas. The weekend meal.
One thing worth learning
Firm fish like mahi can take a marinade or a paste; delicate fish like sole can't. The firmer the flesh, the more seasoning it can carry and the hotter the pan it can handle.