Merchants have always plied the water of the Mediterranean: the Phoenicians, the Greeks, The Romans, and the Venetians. Each of the Mediterranean countries retained their own clearly defined cuisines. With such a long coast line fish and seafood play a major role. The wine bottle is never far from the cooks grasp. Herbs are widely used along with aromatic seasonal vegetables.
Serves 4
2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
1 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Dried Mint
1 teaspoon Dried lemon zest
1 Teaspoon Dried tarragon
1 Teaspoon Crushed fennel seeds
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly ground black peppercorns
4 6 ounce Mahi Mahi Filets
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup minced Sweet Onion
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 Pound Baby clams, washed and scrubed
1 cup Spanish cava
2 tablespoons Sliced green onions
2 tablespoons Fresh Chopped flat leaf parsely
1 Large Lemon, cut in slices
To Prepare the Mahi Mahi:
Using a motar and pestle lighly mix and crush the spices together. Season the Mahi Mahi well on both sides. Reserve the remaining spice mixture. Drizzle the fish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and set aside until ready to cook.
To Cook the Mahi Mahi:
In a large non-stick pan warm the remaining olive oil. Sauté the Mahi Mahi on the first side browning it well for 3 minutes. Then turn it over and add the onions and garlic to cook for another 3 minutes until tranlucent. Remove the fish from the heat to keep warm. Slowly, add the clams and half of the cava, covering the pan and cook for another 2 miniutes over high heat until clams open. Stir in the green onions along with 1 tablespoon of spice mixture. Cook for a minute then place the mahimahi back into the pan adding remaining cava, extra virgin olive oil and the parsley. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
To serve:
Using a spatula carefully place the mahimahi in large flat bottomed bowls. Arrange the clams around the bowl and pour the sauce over the fish. To serve, garnish with fresh lemon slices.