RECIPE: Fish Tacos, the last thing you’d expect to swim into your stomach

Let me explain where my love of fish tacos came from. My mom used to date this Hispanic guy back when I was in high school, he was a pretty good cook but when he broke out the fish tacos I cried foul!! No way, that shit’s nasty I thought but, with a little coaxing I gave them a shot, it’s been a south of the boarder love affair ever since that day….I’ve tried them just about anywhere I can, and after much research and tasting I have developed my own version of the fish taco that is pretty damn good, for a gringo that is. I have fed them to some of my Latino friends and usually always get a hearty “muy bueno” now for the recipe.
(The Taco)
1lb of tillapia fillets (or your favorite grillable white fish)
1 bunch of cilantro(divide into 1/3rds
blackening seasoning, your own or otherwise
1 doz. tortillas(corn)
1/2 diced red onion
1/2 head of shredded green cabbage
1 avocado peeled and sliced
1 lime cut into wedges
(The Sauce)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/3 of your bunch of cilantro
1 Tbsp. Cumin
1 lime (zested & juiced)
salt & pepper to taste
I do these year round, and am going to endorse a piece of kitchen gear here lame as it sounds, but it’s a great tool The George Forman Grill works great for cooking your fish when it’s too cold out to grill for real, and it’s the best tortilla warmer around!! so here’s how this goes down,
Make your sauce first, ’cause when these are done you’re gonna want to dive in!!
combine all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until mixed well, try not to puree them leave a little chunk to the cilantro and lime zest.
Then season your fish with the blackened seasoning as heavy or light as you like depends on your taste, then grill the fillets take another 1/3 of your cilantro and chop that in with your fish, again leave the fish a little chunky you don’t want mutilated tillapia just chop it and put it in a covered dish to stay warm while your heating your tortillas, then I’m a pretty firm beliver that things have an order in which they need to be put together, so here’s the assembly process.
place the fish in first, then add your chopped(chop the last 1/3 of the bunch)cilantro and diced red onion, the put a small amount of the sauce, your favorite salsa (I prefer the verde for this) and a small wedge of avacado, the squeeze a lime wedge over it and top with shredded cabbage, fold and eat!! Simple and damn good, just had ‘em tonight as a matter of fact

2 Comments

  1. I’ve actually had these with catfish (breaded and pan fried as well as grilled), mahi mahi, tuna, bonita, and grouper with a number of different topping variations. It’s not as obscure of a dish as you might think.

    When I visited SoCal and TX they actually serve a version as a breakfast next to Migas & Huevos Rancheros & Frittatas, it’s quite popular. It’s also quite common off the street carts and in the small dives throughout LA & SD.

    In Hawai’i it is served as a mid-morning item with fresh citrus & other fruits adorning it and I had a wonderful snack version that was shredded pork and mahi mahi and some kind of ginger lime sauce from a cart on the north shore of Kauai’i. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

    Down the Jersey shore during the height of the blues runs you occasionally find them made with blue fish too, but I’ve never had them boardwalk style like that.

  2. I hear you, it’s become quite popular, but out here in the midwest, the flatlanders know “fish fry” so the taco’s rarely find the menu :( …And deffinitly don’t be afraid to try your favorite fish on them either. I am however a bigger fan of the grilled version more than the fried, but both are very tasty!!…Ole’


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