Wasabi & Mustard Mahi Mahi

The weekend was pretty uneventful. It was damn near dreary, really. It rained like it had never rained before, well, this season anyway. And it's supposed to keep raining on and off until Wednesday. One really good thing about the weekend though, it managed to stop raining long enough for me to go on 2 runs. Yeah. TWO RUNS! Friday I did about 3.8 miles, and Saturday I did a little over 4. I'd say that's pretty good if you ask me... especially considering a couple weeks ago, I went for my first run of the season, and wanted to just pass out in every lawn I came across. Yeah, funny how out of shape we can get when taking the winter off.


Ingredients:

1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 mahi mahi filets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons sake
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons wasabi paste
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place panko in a shallow dish. Place eggs in a separate shallow dish. Dip the mahi mahi filets in the eggs, then dredge in panko. Set aside.

Whisk the mustard powder, red pepper flakes, and 5 tablespoons water in a small bowl until mustard is dissolved.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil under medium high heat. Add fish and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Combine the mustard mixture with 1/4 cup soy sauce.

In same skillet used for fish, add the powdered ginger and stir for about 30 seconds. (If no or little oil remains in the pain, add about 1 teaspoon or so) Then add chicken broth, sake, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sugar, and wasabi paste. Stir until wasabi and sugar is completely dissolved.

Arrange fish on top of steamed brown rice and drizzle with wasabi/ginger sauce. Serve with the mustard/soy sauce on the side.

This meal was pretty okay for me. If I did it again, I probably wouldn't use Mahi Mahi. I mean, don't get me wrong, Mahi Mahi is a good fish, but I think it was "meatier" than needed for this dish. The sauce was delicate and needed a delicate fish to pair with (maybe halibut or even tilapia). Enjoy!

Btw! For those that gave me feedback on Food Science Friday, THANK YOU! I hope to keep doing it and will be glad to have you all learn with me!

Panko Encrusted Chicken Breasts w/ Maple Mustard Pan Sauce

Well that was a doozy to say out loud. Good thing it's simpler than it sounds. Now I have to make a confession. Mustard scares me. Pretty much any condiment does: mustard, ketchup, MAYO (especially mayo), relish, it all freaks me out. I don't know what it is, but if you ever wanted to have me in a panic attack, just throw a bunch of condiments on me and I'll be set. So I was kind of weary making this sauce, but I've been learning to face my fears and overcome, and that is what I did...

Ingredients:

5 boneless chicken breasts, each cut in half crosswise
2 eggs
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
1-2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

If you're in a bad mood or angry at something when you start to make this, then this recipe is definitely going to relieve some stress. Place a few chicken breasts in a large plastic bag and flatten with a rolling pin or bottom of a pan. Really get it good, but don't murder the chicken, that's just wrong. You want it to be about 1/2 inch thick.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, parsley, and a squirt or two of the Dijon mustard. Like I said, mustard wigs me out so I kinda skimped on the mustard a bit. But you can add as much as you like if you're into that.

Dip chicken in egg mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Then dip chicken into panko and cover all over.


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Cook chicken until it has a nice brown crust, about 4 minutes per side.

Make sure you don't overcrowd your pan, I did about 3 pieces per batch, but it just depends on the size of your chicken. Set chicken aside in a pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

In another small bowl, mix together the broth, syrup, coarse-grained mustard, and a few squirts of dijon mustard. Add this mixture to the pan used for searing the chicken and reduce to about 3/4 cup. Should be about 4-6 minutes. Then add chilled butter and stir until melted. Plate chicken and spoon sauce over top!

This was really good. I loved the panko crunch and the chicken was nice and tender. The sauce was great. It was a little sweet, but you could definitely get a good hint of mustard. And it didn't freak me out. Not to mention our dinner guests were pretty pleased also. (Patting myself on the back now). Enjoy!