Fish Tacos

I know what you're saying. I can even hear someone screaming at the notion of fish tacos. But the smart ones are just nodding their heads and saying, "Mmm."

I met a lady in the airport a few months back; she was headed to Dallas for the first time and wanted to know something she should try that she couldn't get at home. I sheepishly suggested fish tacos. That ended our polite conversation. She was an unbeliever.

True, you should like fish if you will like fish tacos, but not overwhelmingly so. Its much faster to prepare than beef or chicken tacos, and a bit lighter, so you can eat more. And you will want to. It's all about the combination of textures, the spiciness, the crisp citrus tang. And it is not expensive either. We made these tacos with haddock I think, but I've used tilapia in the past (very economical in most areas, and you can usually find it un-frozen). I'm fairly confident this isn't traditionally researched, but I'll list what I put on then, and you just leave off what you don't like (except for the fish, because, come on, really?!)



Fish Tacos

White fish, such as tilapia, halibut (mahi is quite nice)
Spices (such as purchased taco seasonings, or just cumin and garlic powder even)
Cheddar, grated
Purple cabbage, paper thin sliced
Limes (about 4) for zest and juice
Fresh tomatoes (any ripe variety will do)
Small white sweet onion
Garlic, fresh, chopped
Bunch of cilantro
Sour cream, 8 oz.
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1-2 avocados, depending on your audience
Tortillas, corn or flour

Sprinkle your spice of choice on the fish. Grill, broil, bake, or pan-sear the fish. Then flake it into pieces and keep it warm. While it is cooking, start chopping; this is mainly a chopping meal. If you have space on your counters, you can chop everything at once and place it in bowls, adding what you want to anything.

Chop all these things separately and set aside; you will be dividing their usage: garlic cloves (2-3?), jalapenos (seeded and de-ribbed for less heat), purple cabbage, onion (finely diced), tomatoes (diced), cheese (grated) and just about the entire bunch of cilantro. Zest about 2 limes and cut all of them into wedges. Slice or dice your avocado.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl (you are making a pico de gallo here), and add as much onion and garlic as you want, lime zest and a bit of the juice, jalapeno, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Set aside.

Mix in the sour cream the following: garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. You can even add the spice you put on the fish. This is now your pretentious sour cream. You can even call it a crema. Don't skip it and use plain sour cream; this is yummy.

Warm up your tortillas on the grill or in the oven (350 degrees, spray the tortillas lightly or oil them, and flip them over after 2 minutes). Start layering your fish with everything that little circle can hold. They're hard to put down and very messy, but worth it. It's a handful of heaven. Just add some Mexican rice and margaritas. Please eat fish tacos responsibly.

And let me know who tries these. If you're hesitant, I can safely say I forced these on my family and they absolutely loved them.