Saute Lehi with Puna Papaya Pepper Relish

Lehi is a prized Hawaiian fish with firm, white flesh that sautés beautifully. Here it gets a simple pan-sear in olive oil, then topped with a fresh tropical relish that takes the dish from simple to stunning.

The relish is all raw and comes together in minutes. Ripe papaya and pineapple diced small, tossed with red bell pepper, sweet chili sauce, and chopped cilantro. The fruit’s natural sweetness plays against the mild heat of the chili sauce, and the cilantro ties it all together with a clean, herbal brightness.

This is island cooking at its simplest: fresh fish, fresh fruit, almost no cooking. The relish doesn’t touch heat, so every ingredient stays vibrant and crisp.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the ripest papaya and pineapple you can find. Underripe fruit is sour and firm, and won’t bring the juicy sweetness this relish needs.
• Sauté the fish over medium-high heat and don’t move it until it releases from the pan. Lehi firms up when cooked and flips cleanly.
• If you can’t find lehi, substitute mahi-mahi, halibut, or snapper. Any firm white fish works.
• Make the relish right before serving. It loses its freshness and gets watery if it sits too long.

Variations

• Add diced mango alongside or instead of the papaya for a slightly sweeter relish.
• Squeeze fresh lime juice over the relish for extra acidity.
• Toss in a minced jalapeño for sharper heat alongside the sweet chili sauce.