Quick Summary: Quick Summary: Spice-rubbed mahi mahi filets pan-fried and topped with a quick plum sauce made from fresh plums, onion, butter, and broth. Works with any firm white fish and fits a Pesco Mediterranean or low carb diet. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 4
Jump to: RECIPE | Plum Sauce Pairings | Ingredients | How to Cook Fish | More Ways to Cook Plums | How to Make It? | FAQ
This plum sauce comes together in about 10 minutes and pairs beautifully with pan-fried fish. The tartness of fresh plums cuts through the richness of the butter and complements the seared, spice-rubbed filets. I use mahi mahi here, but cod, salmon, or any firm white fish works. The sauce also adapts well to duck, pork, or game if you want to experiment.
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Best Ideas for Pairing Plum Sauce with Proteins
- Chinese fish dishes: the fish of choice in Chinese cuisine is often grouper or red snapper and the sauce often includes vinegar and sugar;.
- Duck or game birds: often these proteins are more robust and you might want to add beef stock instead of chicken stock and port instead of sherry.
- Mexican fish dishes seem to favor sea bass. These recipes might also spice it up with chile spices or a spicy blend. Just add 1/2 to 1 tsp chile spice to the sauce while cooking. The amount to add would depend on how spicy your blend is and how spicy you like your food.
- Salmon: Soy sauce is a common addition for salmon dishes. A little sugar is generally added also when soy sauce is used.
More Uses for Plum Sauce
- This fruit based sauce often accompanies Chinese side dishes as a dipping sauce for things like egg rolls, spring rolls or wontons.
- If you are vegetarian or vegan, it is delicious over rice or noodles (or pumpkin).
- Some cooks will add it to Asian slaws.
- In addition to the proteins mentioned above, plum sauce also works well with shrimp, chicken or pork.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Plum sauce lends itself to many different spices and ingredients. Here are some of my favorite additions or substitutions:
- Five spice blend
- Ginger
- Smoked chile spices (like chipotle or ancho)
- Hot and bright chile spices (like habanero)
- Star anise
- Tamarind
- Oyster sauce
- Plum extract
- Plum Jam
Plum Sauce: Store-bought vs Homemade
Fresh plums are not always available due to seasonality or your region. In this case, a store bought plum sauce can work in a pinch. Often, hoisin sauce is used as a substitute. Just read the ingredient list and opt for the one with the least sugar if you are on a low carb diet.
Plums are generally in season for most of the Fall and sometimes into the Winter. There is a huge variety of plums and any of the fresh plum varieties will be tastier (and prettier) than a purchased sauce.
The other advantage of making your own sauce is you can control the ingredients, like the sugar or stocks or alcohol. This can be a huge advantage for those with health concerns or on a specific diet.
Which Cooking Method Works Best for the Fish?
It really doesn’t matter which cooking method you use for the fish. It can be steamed, broiled, grilled, en papiote or baked. This article takes you through the steps for 5 of the best methods common to cooking fish. My favorite method is pan-frying in a couple tablespoons of oil because I like to use a rub and get a good sear on the outside.
The main thing with cooking fish is to not overcook it. It is hard to take it off the skillet when it still looks undercooked, but remember that it continues to cook once removed.
Overcooked fish is rubbery and the main reason people shy away from cooking it. Tender fish enhanced with a sauce or spice however, is a delicious, healthy delicacy!
Try a Plum “Butter” or Plum Crostata
I have many recipes on this site for fish dinners, but not that many recipes that use plums. That’s a shame because they are absolutely delicious (I’ll work on it). I do have a recipe however for a Plum Butter made in the slow cooker and is a wonderful Fall comfort food.
A food memory of mine from a farmers’ market in Denver, Colorado was a freeform plum crostata. This recipe for a tomato crostata (aka galette) is my favorite for these filled pastries and it could easily be made with plums instead of heirloom tomatoes.
If you are lucky enough to grow your own plums, save a few from the harvest and add it to a rumtopf pot for Christmas! Rumtopf is a unique way to preserve any extra fruit in alcohol and use months later as a topping for pancakes or ice cream (or as a cocktail).
How to Make Mahi Mahi with Plum Sauce
The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short, pat fish filets dry and coat generously with a spice rub. Make the sauce by caramelizing onions, then adding plum wedges, butter, and broth and cooking until slightly thickened. Sear the fish in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side, then spoon the warm plum sauce over the top.
FAQ
Any firm white fish like mahi mahi, cod, halibut, or sea bass. Salmon also pairs well, especially with a little soy sauce added to the sauce. Avoid delicate fish that might fall apart during searing.
Yes, in a pinch. Look for one with minimal added sugar if you’re watching carbs. Hoisin sauce is sometimes used as a substitute. Homemade is fresher and lets you control the ingredients.
Any fresh plum variety works. They’re generally in season from late summer through fall. Riper plums will be sweeter; firmer plums hold their shape better in the sauce.
The filet should be opaque at the edges but still slightly translucent in the center when you remove it from the pan. It continues cooking after you take it off the heat. Overcooked fish becomes rubbery.
Any fish-friendly blend works. Old Bay is classic. You can also use a Chinese five-spice blend, a smoky chipotle rub, or just salt, pepper, and paprika.
Green beans, asparagus, or a simple green salad. If you’re not low carb, rice is traditional. Cauliflower rice works for low carb diets.
For 45+ more recipes focused on fish and seafood, check out my fish & seafood category.
Plum Sauce for Fish Dinner
Equipment
- medium size pot
Ingredients
- 20-24 ounces fish filets I used Mahi Mahi, any thick filet would work (cod, tuna, salmon)
- ⅓ cup fish spice rub
- 4 tablespoons refined olive oil (divided) or grapeseed oil (or an oil with a high smoke point);
- 1 medium onion cChopped
- 3 large plums cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoon butter unsalted
- ¼ cup chicken broth alternatives: orange juice or vegetable broth or sherry or water
Instructions
- Cut the fish filets into desired length and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the spice rub liberally over the filets and rub it in. (Add salt if your rub doesn’t have any in it). Turn them over and repeat on the opposite side. Set aside while you make the plum sauce.20-24 ounces fish filets, 1/3 cup fish spice rub
- In a pot or skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons refined olive oil (or other oil) over medium high heat. Add onions and caramelize by cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes or until transclucent. Then add plums, butter and broth and cook together for 2-3 minutes until it thickens to your liking. Remove from heat and set aside.4 tablespoons refined olive oil (divided), 1 medium onion, 3 large plums, 2 tablespoon butter, 1/4 cup chicken broth
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons refined olive oil (or grapeseed oil) over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add spice-rubbed filets to the skillet and sear/cook for1-2 minutes (time depends on thickness of filets – do not overcook). You should see the filet is white at the bottom, and still raw/transparent in the upper part of the filet. Gently turn or flip the filets and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes. Add the plum sauce to the skillet to heat up and blend together with the fish.4 tablespoons refined olive oil (divided)
- Transfer fish to a serving plate and spoon the plum sauce over it. A good side dish is something green and crispy like green beans. Rice is a common side dish if you are not low carb. Try cauliflower rice if you are!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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