Fish Tacos

We celebrated a family birthday recently and the guest of honor requested Fish Tacos. My husband, being the beef lover that his is, was very apprehensive at the thought of a fish taco, but guess who ended up eating three of them? Yep.

The fish I chose was cod, but any mild white fish will work - cod, tilapia, halibut, snapper, grouper, haddock, flounder, etc. I like to place the fish in the marinade for about an hour before cooking (longer is okay). That leaves plenty of time to make the cabbage slaw and prepare the toppings.

Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

makes about 8 tacos

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Fish:

• 2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips (*see notes below)

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning

• 1 teaspoon granulated onion powder

• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Slaw:

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage

• 1 cup corn kernels

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon honey

• juice of one lime

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced

• 1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Additional:

• 8-inch flour tortillas

• lime wedges

• chopped cilantro

• chopped tomatoes

• mexican crema or sour cream

• diced avocado or guacamole

• pickled red onions

• pico de gallo

Directions

To marinate the fish:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, old bay, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and optional cayenne.

2. Add fish strips and toss well to evenly coat; set aside for at least an hour.

To make the cabbage slaw:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, and lime juice and add the cabbage, corn, jalapeno, and cilantro; toss well and add salt and pepper to taste.

To cook the fish:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Cook fish strips in a single layer for a couple of minutes per side until cooked through, being careful not to crowd the pan; repeat until all fish is cooked. Alternatively, you can cook the fish on a parchment or silpat-lined half sheet pan in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes.

To assemble the tacos:

1. Place 1/8th of the cabbage slaw in the center of an 8-inch flour tortilla and top with 1/8th of the cooked fish.

2. Garnish as desired.

Notes

• Any mild white fish can be used (cod, tilapia, halibut, snapper, grouper, haddock, flounder, etc).

• We like flour tortillas, but feel free to use corn tortillas if you prefer.

• The marinated fish and cabbage slaw make a wonderful combination, but each can stand on their own merits so consider serving them separately.

Pico de Gallo

No Mexican-Inspired meal is complete without a bowl of tasty Pico de Gallo on the table!

Pico de Gallo

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

• 1/2 cup finely chopped red or white onion

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced

• juice of 1 lime

• l/4 cup (or more) freshly chopped cilantro

• kosher salt to taste

Directions

1. Toss all ingredients together about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Pico is best served fresh so try not to make more than you’ll need (the texture will soften and the colors will dull with time).

• If you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container to prevent flavors from transferring to other foods.

• Leftover Pico De Gallo is great stirred into guacamole or macaroni and cheese.