Cooking Your Catch: Mahi, Wahoo, Tuna and Snapper

Fish you caught yourself is the freshest dinner you will ever eat. A few simple habits keep it that way.

• Rule one Ice the fish right away
• Mahi Grill, blacken or fish tacos
• Wahoo Cook fast, do not overcook
• Tuna Sear or sashimi, very fresh
• Snapper Roast whole, pan-sear or ceviche

Handling your fish

• Ice quickly: chill fish right away in ice, ideally a slurry of ice and a little water.
• Bleed tuna, mahi and wahoo if the crew suggests it. It improves the meat.
• Keep them cold all the way home.
• Cleaning: ask us about fish cleaning and filleting at the dock.

Food safety

• Scombroid: tuna, mahi, wahoo and kingfish can cause a histamine-type food poisoning if they are not kept cold. Ice them promptly.
• Ciguatera: large reef predators such as big barracuda can carry a toxin that cooking does not remove. Ask your captain what is safe to eat.
• Cook to a safe temperature unless you are eating very fresh raw fish.

Ideas by fish

• Mahi-mahi: grilled, blackened or in fish tacos. See mahi-mahi.
• Wahoo: steaks seared hot and quick, and do not overcook. See wahoo.
• Blackfin tuna: seared rare, as sashimi or poke. See blackfin tuna.
• Kingfish: smoked fish dip or grilled. See kingfish.
• Snapper: roasted whole, pan-seared or ceviche. See snapper.
• Triggerfish: skin it, then pan-fry or bake. See triggerfish.

A simple method for almost any white fish

1. Pat the fillet dry and season with salt, pepper and a little oil.
2. Heat a pan or grill very hot.
3. Cook a few minutes per side until the fish just flakes.
4. Finish with lemon or lime and fresh herbs.

Keep what the rules allow

Only keep legal fish, and keep only what you will eat. See fishing rules basics. Some local restaurants will cook your catch for a fee, so call ahead.

Ready to put this to work? Request a trip with Good Mojo and tell us what you want to catch, or send us a question first.