Fish filet with passionfruit sauce; one of my all time favorite family meals. I used to make this all the time for our guests when we still owned our ecolodge here on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. And I still make it at home for my boys.
Freshly caught fish filet (Mahi Mahi or other white fish filet, like red snapper) marinated in garlic and white wine then seared to perfection. The fish filet is topped with a tropical sauce made from fresh passionfruit juice. I always serve this with blanched carrots and broccoli which are then quickly sautéed with garlic, ginger and a drizzle of honey. And a side of coconut rice.
How to prepare this wholesome family meal?
The fish
I always put the fish filets in a non metal mixing bowl. Then I mix the wine and garlic and then pour it over the filets. I make sure to flip the filets once making sure they are totally covered by the liquid and refrigerate them at least 30 minutes. Once marinated, I drain the liquid (I keep it though!) and I first make the sauce.
Now that the sauce has been made and filets are out of the marinate, I pat them dry and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. I heat up a skillet to medium/high and add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to it. When heated up I slide the filets in (2 at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan). I flip the filets after a couple of minutes once they are golden brown. When the other side is browned as well I transfer the filets to a serving dish.
The sauce
To make the sauce I strain the fish marinate. I add 1/2 cup of the liquid and all of the passionfruit juice to a sauce pan. I bring it to boil and then lower the heat so the liquid can simmer until it is reduce to half of the original amount. You will notice it is a lot thicker already. I lower the heat and stir in the butter, lump by lump. I make sure to give the sauce a good stir after every lump I add. It is important to never get the sauce to boil, because that will make the sauce curdle.
The veggies
I blanch the carrots and brocolli instead of boiling them. This way they will stay crunchy. Once blanched, I set them aside. I heat up a tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet and add grated ginger and garlic. Once fragrant I add the veggies and I stir until everything is well combined, then I drizzle in a bit of honey. After a quick stir the veggies are ready to be served.
The rice
There are two ways here. What I usually do is just make plain brown rice and I top it with toasted coconut (shredded or coconut flakes). If you like more coconut flavor you can add a teaspoon of coconut cream to your prepared rice and still top it with toasted coconut. This will give a sweeter taste. Or cook your rice in coconut milk and top it with toasted coconut. The rice will be much creamier this way.
Planning the meal
Sometimes it can get a little hectic in the kitchen when you have to prepare multiple dishes. Below you will find a step-by-step guide to help you get this fish filet in passionfruit sauce including veggies and rice without any stress:
- At least 3 hours before serving dinner, marinate the fish;
- Cut the butter for the sauce in cubes and place back into the refrigerate until you start making the sauce;
- 2+ hours later drain/strain the marinate and set aside the fish filets;
- Make the sauce immediately after this and set it aside. You can heat it up just before you serve dinner;
- Blanch the vegetables after you have cleaned them and cut them in florets (brocolli) and diagonal slices/chunks (see pictures), rinse them in cold water and set aside;
- Toast the coconut and set aside;
- Start making the rice more or less half an hour before you plan on serving dinner. Once ready add coconut cream (optional), put the lid back on the pot and set aside;
- Sear the fish and sauté the veggies (as described with garlic, ginger and honey);
- quickly heat up the sauce. Don’t let it come to boil though!
- Transfer fish and vegetable to serving platters;
- Put the rice in a serving bowl and top with toasted coconut;
- Serve sauce in a sauce boat or pour on the fish filets before serving;
- If you are planning on plating in the kitchen, you can skip the last 3 steps and start plating the moment you have heated up the sauce.
Everybody is happy when I put this healthy family meal on the table. The kids gobble it up in no time. A real winner dinner! I hope you will love it as much as we do. It is:
fresh – tropical – wholesome – flavorful – easy to make – super delicious
This is one of our favorite family meals. We eat this almost every week. Just like our homemade oven roasted tomato sauce on top of (zucchini) noodles, ‘role-your-own-taco night’ and tortilla soup. All these dishes are kid proof (because tested and approved by my super picky eaters), can be (partially) made ahead of time and/or are quick and easy to prepare on the day itself.
Fish filet with passionfruit sauce
Ingredients
- 4 fish filets (I used mahi mahi. Other white fish filets like red snapper work as well)
- 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1-3 cups white wine (use as much as you need to cover the fish filets while marinating)
- ½ cup passionfruit juice (from fresh passionfruit, sieved to extract just the juice and not the seeds)
- ¾ stick butter (cut into 6-8 lumps)
- 2 cups brocolli florets
- 2 cups carrots (carrots diagonally sliced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1-2 tbsp honey (according to your liking)
- 2 cups brown rice
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- salt&pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp coconut cream (optional) (the top part of a can of coconut milk that has been refrigerated or for a sweeter option store bought coconut cream)
Instructions
- Put the fish filets in a non metal mixing bowl. Mix the wine and garlic and pour it over the filets. Flip the filets once making sure they are covered by the liquid and refrigerate them at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours.
- Once marinated, strain the liquid. (keep it though, you need it to make the sauce). Pat dry the filets, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Now set aside.
- To make the sauce, add 1/2 cup of the fish marinate liquid and the passionfruit juice to a sauce pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduce to half of the original amount. You will notice it is a lot thicker already. Lower the heat and stir in the butter, lump by lump. Make sure to give the sauce a good stir after every added lump. It is important to never get the sauce to boil, because that will make the sauce curdle. Once the last lump has dissolved, take it off the heat and cover.
- Blanch the carrots and brocolli for just a few minutes. You want them to still be crunchy. Once blanched, set them aside.
- Toast the coconut in a skillet on the stovetop. Stay with it! Once it starts to change color, you want to take it off the heat before it turns too dark and burns.
- Prepare the rice according to instructions on the package (or cook it in coconut milk which makes it a bit creamier). When the rice is ready, add coconut cream to the pot and stir (this is optional. I usually go for just plain brown rice). Now set the rice aside with the lid on it.
- Cook the fish by heating up a skillet to medium/high and adding 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to it. When heated up, slide the filets in (2 at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan). Flip the filets after a couple of minutes once they are golden brown. When the other side is evenly brown, transfer the filets to a serving dish. Repeat for the other 2 filets and transfer all to a serving platter.
- To sauté the vegetables, heat up a tablespoon of coconut oil and add grated ginger and garlic. Once fragrant add the veggies and stir until everything is well combined, then drizzle in the honey. After a quick stir the veggies are ready to be transferred to a serving platter.
- Stir rice once more and transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.
- Reheat the sauce if needed and transfer to a sauce boat or immediately pour on the fish filets.
Notes
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