If you haven’t caught on yet, I have embarked on a cooking adventure with the aim of:

Creating better versions of older recipes; or
Creating non-traditional dishes using components of traditional ones.

You’ll get it in time. But if you’re curious and want to know more about the new direction I’m taking with this blog, you can read the newsletter that I sent out to subscribers last Wednesday. Sign up if you want to be in the loop ahead of others.

There is a recipe for crispy fish fillets with lime orange sauce in the archive that is over 14 years old. It’s good but this one is really better. Two reasons:

The cooking process for the fish is easier and definitely less messy. Instead of coating the fish with batter before frying, in this new recipe, you just have to toss the fillets in potato starch. Think of Japanese chicken karaage. No batter, just potato starch, but the crust that forms on the surface of the fried food is delightfully light and crisp.

The second reason is the cooking method for the sauce. Instead of thickening it with starch, you create a syrup by boiling citrus juices with sugar. The flavor is intense and the texture is better. The best part is that as it cools, it forms another layer of crunch around the fish fillets. Think of caramelized sugar, but balanced by the adicity of the lime and orange juices, and highly aromatic because of the addition of lime and orange zests.

Crispy mahi-mahi fillets with sticky lime and orange sauce

It is essentially a sweet sour fish dish, but when you introduce the flavor and aroma of fruits to the basic mix, you create a more exciting dish.

Prep: 10

Cook: 15

Total: 25

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Label: Sweet Sour Sauce

Print recipe Subscribe

Connie’s notes

It usually takes about ten minutes of boiling for the sauce to turn syrupy. Note that it thickens some more as it cools so stop boiling while it is still easily pourable.

Fry the fish in batches if your pan is on the small side. You want to maintain the high temperature of the oil so do not overcrowd the pan.

Do not wait for the starch to turn brown during frying because you do not want to overcook the fish. Just fry until a crisp crust forms even if the crust appears pale. The fish will get its reddish-gold color when combined with the sauce off the heat.

Ingredients

Fish

500 grams skinless mahi-mahi fillet (a little over one pound) or substitute another firm and fleshy fish
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce

zest from one orange
zest from one lime
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
½ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Frying

4 to 6 tablespoons potato starch (please don't substitute all-purpose flour or cornstarch)
cooking oil for deep frying

To serve

1 to 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions or use green onions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Season the fish

Press the mahi-mahi fillet between stacks of paper towels to remove surface moisture.
Cut the fish fillet into slices and toss with salt and pepper.

Cook the sauce

Dump all the ingredients for the sauce into a small pan and set over high heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully melted, the liquid has reduced by half and the sauce has thickened (see notes).

Fry the mahi-mahi

In a wok or fryer, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least three inches.
Toss the seasoned mahi-mahi with the potato starch making sure every inch of the surface of every piece is coated with starch.
Over high heat (350F to 375F if using a thermometer), fry the fish until a crust forms on the surface (see notes).