Mahimahi Coconut Curry Stew with Carrots and Fennel

• Recipe by Padma Lakshmi

Padma always makes extra portions of this excellent coconut-curried mahimahi so she can reheat it the next day and eat it over noodles, like an Asian laksa.

Ingredients

1. Eight 6-ounce skinless mahimahi fillets
2. 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3. Salt
4. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
5. 8 garlic cloves, peeled
6. 3 large shallots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
7. 8 small dried red chiles
8. 12 fresh curry leaves (see Note)
9. 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
10. 8 kaffir lime leaves (see Note)
11. 1 large fennel bulb—halved, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
12. 4 cups carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
13. 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
14. Two 15-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
15. 1 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Put the mahimahi fillets in a large, shallow dish. Pour the lemon juice over the fish and season lightly with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a very large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook over moderately high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chiles and curry leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and lime leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the fennel, carrots and curry powder and season lightly with salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring a few times, until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes longer.
3. Add the mahimahi and any accumulated juices to the casserole, nestling the fish into the stew. Cover and simmer over low heat, shifting the fish a few times, until it is just cooked, about 15 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a large, deep platter. Pour the sauce over and around the fish. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Make Ahead

The coconut-curry broth can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

Notes

Fresh curry leaves are small, shiny, bright green and fragrant. Kaffir lime is a citrus fruit with dark green leaves that are very floral and citrusy-smelling.