After Thanksgiving, I had quite a few pecans left and wanted to use them up before they go bad. After pondering a moment, I figured I’d make pecan crusted Mahi Mahi. I made it similar to how I make my schnitzel, but used half panko and half chopped pecans. It was a nice alternative to my usual broiled fish. I accompanied it with a tomato and avocado salad.

I also decided to try mashed turnips… and it wasn’t good. I was trying to find a healthier alternative to potatoes, and thought… hey, what about turnips? Yeah, it tasted like mashed cabbage, but worse. Note to self: Never boil and mash turnips… they are not and never will be potatoes. Lesson learned.

Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi Recipe

2 Mahi Mahi Filets
1/2 c panko (bread crumbs)
1/2 c pecans (chopped)
1/2 c flour
1 egg
1/4 c vegetable oil
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse fish filets and dry well with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Combine the bread crumbs and chopped pecans on a shallow plate and season with salt and pepper. Place the flour on another plate, season with salt and pepper. Crack egg into a third plate, and using a fork, beat lightly. Dredge the fish in the flour, and knock off any excess. Next, dredge the fish in the egg, then into the bread crumb/pecan mixture. Press the bread crumbs/pecans down lightly on the fish, to make sure it adheres. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, preferably on a wire rack. I use my cookie cooling racks for this. It seems to help the breading stick to the fish if you allow it to rest and dry a bit.

3. Heat a large oven-safe saute pan with the oil, over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles, gently place the fish in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes until nicely browned, and flip. Cook for another few minutes, again until nicely browned, and place the entire pan in the oven to finish cooking, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate covered with several sheets of paper towel.

Note: If your filets are thin, you may not need to finish cooking in the oven. If they are thick like mine were, finishing them off in the oven helps you avoid burning the pecans.

Note #2: I used my food processor to chop the pecans, and just pulsed it a few times to get a rough chop.

Note #3: This recipe works very well on chicken too.