The wonders of Dorado or Mahi-Mahi

by enrique | Apr 7, 2019 | Fish

Dorado or Mahi-Mahi (“Lampuga” in Spanish; “Llampuga” in Catalan) it’s a wonderful seasonal fish, very abundant in the Mediterranean Sea and with an outstanding taste!

One of my hobbies is fishing and if you are lucky enough to be able to go on a boat from the end of August to mid-October you’re very likely to fish them almost everywhere…

Usually nearby the coast you should find the offspring of this pelagic fishes that will grow in a few weeks from around 5 or 6 pounds to 10 pounds or more feeding on the abundant shoals of anchovies and sardines. The trick is to find some element floating on the water: buoys, a piece of wood, a palm leaf…underneath will be full of them!

Dorado or Mahi-Mahi is a blue fish, of the family of tuna: with a meat of a light rose colour and a subtle taste, not like anchovies or sardines which are really “fishy”, it’s perfect to eat raw in sashimi style or lightly marinated with some citrus juice. Not just that, you can also grill it, fry it or use it to make a stew or a sauce for pasta, the options are nearly infinite…

Another important point is that it is still not considered a commercial specie so it’s much more sustainable than eating blue fin tuna, which is an endangered species near to extinction.

Despite this fact, we know that it has been eaten in the Mediterranean Sea for millennia: a great example is a fresco rescued from the Western House of the ancient town of Akrotiri (actual Santorini, Greece), this town was destroyed by the eruption of a volcano around the XVII century BC, meaning the painting is almost 4000 years old.

Nowadays is still consumed on a regular basis in the southern part of Italy (mostly in Sicily) and in the Balearic Islands.

If you come to Barcelona it’s going to be difficult to find it in the local markets, however there’s people who are working to retrieve it from its oblivion: if you come during the season go to Somorrostro (a restaurant in the Barceloneta neighbourhood), Jordi Limón, the owner, goes every morning to the fish auction in the port nearby and you will be able to taste this amazing fish.

Go for non-commercial species, they are usually cheaper, really tasty and much more sustainable!