Fish Tacos Take 3 – with Avocado Slaw and Chipotle Sour Cream
August 18, 2012
Aunt Suzy says . . .
Fish Tacos continue to rule! This recipe was posted recently in our local Sunday newspaper, and I decided to make it last night to welcome my brother John, who is visiting this weekend from Illinois. (Of course, being me, I made many adaptations. :-)) We all concluded this was a winner and stacks up favorably to the other two fish taco recipes I posted this summer. I served it with a corn, black bean and cherry tomato saute, adding a small can of beans, about a cup of cherry tomatoes and juice of half a lime to the corn and onion base we had leftover from a recent dinner. Add an unoaked Chardonnay and YUM!
This recipe makes 8 tacos
The Slaw
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 minced small jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, 1/2-inch dice
1/2-1 teaspoon salt, to taste
Juice of half a large lime
Blend all ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
The Chipotle Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
5 tablespoons Frontera Chipotle Hot Salsa OR
1 tablespoon sauce from Chipotle peppers in adobo
Blend thoroughly and set aside. (Note: I think the salsa adds a great flavor and other brands of Chipotle salsa would work just as well as the Frontera.)
The Fish
1 pound Mahi-Mahi or other white fish fillets
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Canola oil
We grilled this over charcoal, but you could use a gas grill or broil in the oven. If using a grill, bring charcoal or gas to medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, cut the fish into 3-inch segments, with an eye to consistent thickness. Coat both sides of each piece with the spice mixture, drizzling a little oil on right before grilling. Place the fish on the grill directly over the heat. Grill for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the fish is translucent. Let the fish rest for 5-10 minutes before assembling the tacos.
Assembling the Tacos
8 or more corn tortillas
Lime wedges to pass
Place the tortillas in foil and heat in a 350° oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven. For each taco:
Place a few chunks of fish on a tortilla. Add sour cream and slaw to taste. Squeeze a little lime over all. Enjoy! Note: if you do not do dairy, this is just as delicious with the Chipotle Salsa right out of the jar.
Fish Tacos Take 2 – with Lime Guacamole and Cabbage Slaw
July 23, 2012
Aunt Suzy says . . .
Not sure why, but fish tacos have become somewhat of an obsession this summer. After making “Take 1” last weekend, I was eager to revisit this recipe that I made a few years ago. Many of the ingredients are abundant right now at the farmers markets, so these were especially delicious. The pairing suggestion was a chardonnay of the crisp and fresh variety. I was a little skeptical about serving Chardonnay with tacos, but the Hess Select 2010 from Monterey was a perfect match. It hit all the right notes with the food and was inexpensive – what could be better?!!
This makes 4 servings of 2 tacos each
The Cabbage Slaw
1 small head cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (Can be Napa, Savoy or regular – I used a combo of Savoy and purple cabbage.)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir to thoroughly blend and set aside.
The Lime Guacamole
2 ripe Haas avocados
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 small jalapenos minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mash the avocados in a medium bowl. Add the onion, cilantro and jalapenos and stir to blend. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper and stir until incorporated. You can make this as creamy or as chunky as you want. Set aside.
The Fish
1 pound Red Snapper or Rock Fish, aka Pacific Snapper (You could also use Tilapia, but I really liked the texture and flavor of the Snapper for this recipe.)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
We grilled this over charcoal, but you could use a gas grill or broil in the oven. If using a grill, bring charcoal or gas to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, cut the fish into 3-inch segments, with an eye to consistent thickness. Coat both sides of each piece with oil and the salt and pepper. (Randy and I thought we would try a little cayenne next time as well.) Place the fish on a grill pan directly over the heat. (The original recipe did not specify this, but we were worried that the fish would fall through the regular grill top.) Grill for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until the fish is translucent. Let the fish rest for 5-10 minutes before assembling the tacos.
Assembling the Tacos
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced in thin wedges
8 or more corn tortillas
Lime wedges and hot sauce to pass
Place the tortillas in foil and heat in a 350° oven for 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven. For each taco:
Spread the tortilla with the guacamole. Place a few chunks of fish on top. Add a few slices of tomato. Top with cabbage slaw. Add a squeeze of lime and as much hot sauce as you want!
Sweet & Savory Kitchens 