This fish taco recipe will set your fish tacos above the rest. If you make it, you will win the lottery – probably.
There only a handful of tenants to a great (not good) fish taco. They are super easy and every San Diego or Austin person will attest to this.
1. Buy fresh fish for your taco. Fresh, not frozen – ever! Great dishes start with great ingredients. Also don’t go buying swordfish or some crappy (literally) farm-raised Tilapia expecting it to be great. Swordfish is horrible and the Tilapia is equally as bad. Look for wild caught cod, snapper, fresh sardines (not the ones you are thinking of), and even trout. Look for a low mercury, wild caught white fish.
2. Taco or fish seasoning rather. You need a proper dusting of seasoning to bring that fish out. Let it bask in all its glory. Underseasoned fish has your guests walking out or very, very quiet during dinner. Oh, that sucks. Over seasoned does the same thing.
3. Add some sort of roughage to the taco. I like a quick slaw with red cabbage and red onions. It’s so easy but adds texture. You could also do a little pico de gallo or just a sprig of cilantro.
4. There has to be a taco sauce. I don’t care how you do it, just do it. It can be a lime crema, chipotle tomato, a tart tomatillo taco sauce. Hells bells, it could even be simple ‘ole Tapatio. Just find a sauce that works with your fish, seasonings and roughage.
Fish Tacos!
This is how I do one.
The Lime “Crema”
Stir together 3 tablespoons Mexican, Salvadoreño or any other Latin cultured sour cream or “crema” with the juice of a lime wedge (1/4 piece). A a pinch of garlic salt. Put it in the fridge for now.
The fresh lime adds a different tang to the dish. Now, you have the mild sour from the crema and the citric acid from the lime. Two layers of sour. Pucker up. Yum.
Quick Mexi-Slaw Ingredients
- 1/2 red radish
- a small handful of razor thin red cabbage (just my preference)
- 2 coriander sprigs
- Some zests of carrot
- A dash of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin oil
I cut a red radish ultra thin just for that mellow spicy radish taste. If radishes give you acid reflux, skip it. I added in the red cabbage, done by way of the chiffonade. After that, I added the roughly chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) along with some super thin strands from a carrot that I pulled off with my zesting tool. This adds color and some sweetness. I took everything and tossed it with a heavy dash of balsamic vinegar and EVO (Extra Virgin Oil). Who doesn’t love extra virgin?
The end result is a very thinly sliced slaw which is more palatable and presents better than a course cut slaw. Ders.
Fish Rub
(spice, really, since I don’t rub anything)
- 1/8 tsp fresh ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/8 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/8 smoked paprika
- A pinch (1/16 teaspoon) of cayenne pepper, white pepper and sugar
I mix it thoroughly and dust my fish well.
Use all the spice. This will ensure you have properly seasoned your fish provided they are two medium, thin fillets. I used some frozen Tilapia since it was too cold to go to the fish monger today and pick up fresh halibut. I know, I suck, but it was still pretty tasty. If you you did the same and it was not tasty, let me know. Just do it.
Once you sear your fish, put it in a small/mini steamed corn tortilla with your slaw and a solid dollop of your crema on top.
That’s my story. The end.