Mmm. My relationship with tacos only recently expanded to include those with fish. They were rare, hard to spot on a restaurant menu growing up, at least here in Texas, or my eating habits did not include much fish, a direct consequence of only eating (and not much liking) gefilte fish, according to the Husband. Things might have been different in, say, California. A Bon Appetit (involved, multi-step, chill overnight)
recipe got me started, and we've adapted it and changed up some of the components so it can be a quick weeknight meal instead of a drawn-out, only-on-the-weekend affair.
We actually made these ages ago, but I found the pictures over the weekend and almost cried because I hadn't shared them yet. Okay, maybe not, but I was curious as to what was taking me so long to get this goodness to you.
Ingredients and directions, since there are many components
Fish
4 to 6 oz fish per person (we used tilapia, we've also used salmon and orange roughy)
1 tablespoon achiote paste (found in the Latin food aisle, comes in a box)
1 table spoon olive oil
1/2 cup flour (optional)
Combine the achiote paste and olive oil in a small bowl. Slather onto the fish, and cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to four hours if you've got time. While the fish is chilling, prepare the other components of the dish, so everything is ready to go when the fish goes in the pan.
Coat both sides of fish lightly with flour prior to cooking. (Optional)
Cook in a large pan over medium high heat, turning once, until cooked through or desired doneness is reached. Cooking times vary for different types of fish.
Salsa
1 cup black beans
1 cup corn
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup cilantro (or to taste)
1 cup chopped onion, rinsed
Jalepeno, or serrano, chopped (seeds have the heat, use gloves or be very careful and don't touch your eyes while handling chili peppers)
1 tablespoon lime juice, or more to taste
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, lime juice, cilantro, and heat as needed. Ideally, this salsa will sit for a couple of hours or longer to allow flavors to combine, but it doesn't have to.
Chipotle Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilis in adobo, plus one half to one chili chopped
Combine mayo and sauce (and chili if using) in small bowl, stir to combine.
Tortillas
Tortillas
Olive oil
Chili powder (or other spices as desired)
Brush tortillas with olive oil, sprinkle with spices. Grill tortillas for 30 seconds on each side, until heated through. Grilling tortillas gives them amazing flavor.
(no pictures of that part, sorry)
Other toppings, as desired
Cabbage, sliced or shredded
Avocado
Cheese
Mango, chopped
Fresh lime wedges
Cilantro
Assembly
We start with tortillas.
Then add the chipotle mayo, then the fish.
Next comes salsa, cheese, and mango. I add cabbage at this step but the husband does not.
Avocado tops it up, then time to enjoy!