Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado-Melon Salsa

Grilled Mahi MahiThe Waiting Game
When I put in my garden this past spring, one of the plants I was most excited about growing was the Ambrosia Melon. On a hot August day there are few things more satisfying and cooling that an ice cold wedge of juicy, sweet melon. I can be a creature of habit, so this year I was determined to be creative and come up with other ways to enjoy cantaloupe. I searched and scoured the internet as well as my own cookbook collection for interesting recipes to try besides the usual “Take prosciutto. Wrap it around melon. Eat. Repeat.” And call it good (which it is).

I found there are actually a number of things to do with melon besides just cutting it and eating it or wrapping it in fatty meats. Who knew? You can puree it and make popsicles (even better when you add your favorite vodka or rum! Yes, please!) You can make some really great salsas. There are some fabulous Southeast Asian salads that look like they would go well with BBQ. I even found a recipe for Cantaloupe Pickles (I think I’ll pass on that one, thanks.) Needless to say, I have a rather thick stack of ideas…I’m just waiting for the melons.

Queue the Jeopardy theme…

They’re there on the vine. All thirteen of them are sitting there. (Yep. Thirteen. Now you know why I need to come up with ways of using them.) They are taunting me a second time (insert Monty Python French accent here). Hopefully, the warm weather anticipated for next week will get them to ripen, preferably one or two at a time instead of all at once.

Until then I wait.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado-Melon Salsa
Adapted from Bon Appétit | June 2004

Jamaican jerk seasoning is a blend of chiles, thyme, garlic, onion, and spices, and gives the grilled fish a reddish-brown finish. It’s a supermarket staple now; look for it in the spice aisle.

Serve with: Rice salad and grilled squash.
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
For the salsa
1 small avocado, diced
1 cup 1/3-inch cubes cantaloupe
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel

For the fish
4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

Directions
Prepare the BBQ
Oil the grill rack. Prepare barbecue to medium-high heat.

Make the salsa
Toss first 6 prepared ingredients—avocado, cantaloupe, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and grated lime peel—in a medium bowl and stir to blend. Season the salsa generously with salt and pepper.

Brush the Mahi-Mahi with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread the jerk seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge the fish in the seasoning, coating on each side.

Grill the fish until it is just opaque in the center (about 4 minutes per side).

Serve with salsa.

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