Coconut crusted fish with mango salsa

I am a big fan of coconut! Organic coconut water, coconut milk, macaroons, you name it! I especially love it when it’s used to coat a nice piece of fish. I prefer to use white-fleshed fish for such a recipe, but it can work well with salmon, too.

Before we get into the details of the recipe, let’s discuss the main ingredients – Dover sole and shredded coconut.

Also known as black sole, Dover sole is a delicate, mild flavored fish that is the most abundant flat fish on the West Coast of the US. What’s a flat fish you ask? Flat fish are bottom-feeders (like halibut and catfish) that swim along the ocean floor. They can grow to over 2 feet long and they often live as long as 58 years.

The best way to prepare Dove sole is to keep it simple. This species is broadly available in the frozen section of most markets. A 6-ounce serving of plain, baked Dover sole has approximately 26 grams of protein, 52 percent of the daily value, DV, set by the United States Food and Drug Administration based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. The same serving provides 4 grams of fat, just 0.06 percent of the DV, 146 calories and contains no carbohydrates or fiber.

Now for my beloved coconut…wait, is it actually a nut? If you ask a botanist this question, the answer would probably be no. A coconut isn’t a true nut: strictly speaking, it’s a one-seeded drupe. In more general terms, however, a coconut can be a fruit, a seed, and a nut (a nut is technically a type of fruit).

A drupe (such as an olive, almond, or apricot) is a fruit with a central stone containing the seed and has three layers: the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. The coconut is the large, greenish, smooth fruit of a tropical palm tree. This visible part is the outer layer, or exocarp. When this is removed (which usually happens before coconuts reach the shops) you’ll see the next layer, which is the brown, fibrous mesocarp, or husk. This fiber isn’t edible, but is valuable in other respects: it’s used in potting compost and to make ropes, mats, sacks, etc.

Now that you are more familiar with the ingredients, let’s talk recipe.

This is a simple recipe and cooking technique is a good upscale recipe for new cooks and newlywed couples looking to spend time together in the kitchen. It’s a process that will give you experience with a few different techniques, which is great!

The recipe is straightforward.

I simply seasoned the fish with sea salt, white pepper and garlic & onion powder, then dipped it in an egg wash.

I then coated the fish in shredded coconut and let the fish settle (helping the crust form) for about 15 minutes.

Once the fish had a crust I gave it a spritz of olive oil and broiling it for about 20 minutes. This technique makes the sole nice and crispy – without frying.

See my Posh Mango Salsa Recipe Video for the recipe. Also join time on Instagram and Facebook.

Enjoy!