Baked Mahi w/ Breadcrumb topping

1 lb mahi filets (2 or 3, depending on size)
about 1 & 1/2 TBSP of lemon juice – give or take (half a lemon’s worth)
1/8 tsp pure salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup (give or take) high quality mayo
2 tsps dried, minced onion (or 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh)
breadcrumbs to taste

• Pre-heat oven to 425.
• Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Place fish in baking dish.
• Squeeze lemon juice over the fish.
• Sprinkle with spice mix.
• Mix onion (either dried or fresh) into mayo and spread on fish (just on the top side is fine).
• Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake for 20 mins.

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SIDE NOTES:

~ If using frozen fish, be sure to defrost ahead of time. Thaw in fridge overnight, or if you forget – on the counter in a sealed plastic bag submerged in a bowl of cold water (should only take a few hours). If you’re in a crazy hurry, put the fish (in sealed plastic bag) in a bowl under cold running water, and it should be good to go in about 20 – 30 mins (depending on how much fish you’re defrosting).  Of course, you can use any type of fish you’d like – doesn’t have to be mahi.

~ As far as the spices go – Feel free to just eyeball it & sprinkle on an amount that looks good to you. I will mention though that the first time I made this, I sprinkled too freely with the salt and it was pretty much inedible. I’ve always been a little too heavy-handed when adding spices via the shake method. This is why my recipes tend to specify exact measurements. Just sprinkle if you like that method better & it works for you.  To each his own!  And by the way, I always have empty spice jars on hand (I save them as I finish up bottles).  So for this, it’s really handy for me to measure and add the salt, pepper & garlic powder to an empty spice shaker, and just sprinkle it over the fish (it’s hard to distribute 1/8 tsp evenly over the fish if adding straight from a measuring spoon).

~ For those of you who tend to gasp at the mention of mayo, please know that it isn’t bad in and of itself. Like so many things, if you have a high quality product, mayo is nothing to be scared of. The reason most commercially made mayos are so bad is because of the type of oil that’s used. My recommendation is to find a mayo that’s not made with canola oil or soy oil (or make it yourself if you’re inclined).  If you prefer, you can use some melted butter instead of the mayo.

~  When it works, I like using dried minced onion (you can find this in the spice aisle with all the other spices)  It’s my daughter’s thing to pick onions out of her dish whenever they are visible (which is often since the rest of us love them).  It’s nice though, when this easy substitution works, so she can just sit down & eat!

~ If interested, click HERE for instructions on how to easily make your own breadcrumbs.

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