This 20# Dorado (Mahi-Mahi) was hooked on the north side of Anegada with a cheap little lure- bright pink in color. It took our friend a few minutes to reel him in and as he came close to the boat there was a whole school of other dorado just swimming along side, maybe his ladies? Either way, once we got the gaff in him we knew what we would eat for dinner that night... and the next three!!
As you can see from the photo stream, dorado are beautifully colored fish with bright greens, blues, and yellows in combinations you could never dream up. When they die you actually watch the color drain out of them until they are just blue and silver. You differentiate male from female dorado in the shape of the head. Males have a huge bulge in their forehead and large dorsal fin, while a female has a smoother taper to her forehead and a small dorsal fin.
The first thing you want to do when you catch any fish is to gut it. You just cut a slit in the belly from below the gills to the anus. Reach in this slit and pull out all the innerds. Using salt water rins the cavity clean of blood or other bodily fluids. At this point it's pretty cool to cut open the stomach and see what your dinner has been eating. Or just throw these scraps into the water with another line out and hope to attract more food.
From here out you will want to fillet one side start to finish, then the other. Once it is gutted, depending on the fish you may want to either scale it or skin it. Dorado do not have large scales so we will skin it. To do this you want to cut a shallow line from head to tail along the dorsal fin, across the tail, and connect to the slit made when gutting. When you get back to the head follow just behind the gills (don't forget the forehead, there is good meat in there!). You have just outlined your usable filet meat. Now, starting at the tail cut away a bit of the skin- just enough to hold onto. Once you can get a grip on it put the knife down and rip the skin off towards the head (this will take some muscle, but saves a lot of meat from being cut away). Once you have the skin off, give the fish another rinse in salt water. Starting at either the head or tail insert your knife so that it rests just on the tops of the rib bones and the tip touches the backbone. Slide the knife down the fish with the tip bouncing along the backbone vertebra. Turn the fish and cut the other side in the same manner. The fillet is now only connected at the backbone so lift one side of the fillet and cut it away- you may have to break some of the pin bones as you go. The experts suggest placing this fillet back on the fish as you roll it over to address the other side. Having the fillet in place will better support the fish as you fillet the other side and result in more meat being harvested.
Once the fillets are off the fish go back and cut out the bloodlines (and the bones within). Cut into reasonable size portions and rinse once more in salt water. NEVER rinse saltwater fish in fresh water, it will turn the flesh to mush.
My personal favorite thing to do with fish this fresh is to make ceviche! When you make a ceviche you are “cooking” the meat in the acid of lemon or lime juice. The flesh turns out cooked in the end- but without heat.
Dorado Ceviche
6 servings
1 pound mahi-mahi fillets, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
4 jalapeño chiles, seeded; 2 minced, 2 thinly sliced
1/8 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 bag corn chips
Combine fish, lime juice, and oregano in large glass bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Chill until fish turns opaque, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes.
Strain almost all lime juice from fish; return fish to bowl. Stir in onion, minced and sliced jalapeños, coconut, and cilantro. Season with salt. Chill at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. Serve in Martini glasses. Pass chips separately.
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