The secret to great fish tacos can be boiled down to one word: fresh. Always opt for the freshest fish and produce you can find if you do not want to sacrifice flavor and subtlety in this dish. Here is a recipe we have been using for a few months from Food & Wine. We often do without the sour cream (lactose is not our friend, sadly), and we often go intentionally overboard on the cabbage because, well, we love purple cabbage.
How do you make fish tacos? What would you add?
2 Hass avocados—halved, pitted and peeled
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small head of napa cabbage, shredded (4 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 pounds thick red snapper fillets with skin, cut crosswise into ten 2-inch-wide strips
Ten 7-inch flour tortillas, warmed
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hot sauce, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small head of napa cabbage, shredded (4 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
2 pounds thick red snapper fillets with skin, cut crosswise into ten 2-inch-wide strips
Ten 7-inch flour tortillas, warmed
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
Hot sauce, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
- Light a grill. In a medium bowl, mash the avocados, sour cream, jalapeño, red onion, cilantro and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice. Season the guacamole with salt and pepper and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole.
- In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and pull off the skin.
- To assemble each taco, spread a dollop of guacamole on a tortilla. Top with a piece of fish, a few tomato slices and a large spoonful of the cabbage slaw. Serve with the hot sauce and lime wedges.
(From Food & Wine)
Taco cookbooks we like:
Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez
Tacos by Mark Miller
Tacos: Authentic, Festive and Flavorful by Scott Wilson
