My 4 year old daughter loves fish tacos, so I came up with a recipe of my own. I have a great fish marinade I've used for awhile and I recently came up with a jalapeno aioli for my little brother. The combination of fresh light fish with creamy spicy coleslaw works so well together.
Fish tacos in restaurants are usually made with mahi-mahi, which is firm and has a mild flavor. So out I went to find U.S.-caught mahi at the stores, because that is what the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide recommends instead of imported mahi. (If you have an iPhone, there is a free app for the Seafood Watch guide, I highly recommend it).
For those of you who do not want to carry around a guide, I've noticed a few things that are probably safe rules to follow when a list is not in tow. Try to purchase the following:
1. U.S.-caught fish, rather than imported.
2. Fish that is "troll or pole-and-line gear" caught (if you can find out).
3. Stick with wild-caught fish rather than farmed fish. Apparently there are environmental concerns related to farming some fish, plus wild fish are usually healthier for you.
Also of note, the higher up on the food chain the fish, the higher levels of mercury the fish will likely have: swordfish, shark, rock cod (is really shark), sturgeon, rockfish. (According to the Seafood Watch guide, rockfish is marketed as red snapper or Pacific snapper, but there are no snappers on the U.S. West Coast, so if it's marked as Pacific - it's rockfish and high in mercury).
I wasn't able to find U.S. caught mahi in Carson City, so I went against the rules and purchased Peru Mahi - this time. Next time I will opt to make it up to Whole Foods to try my luck there (or you can choose another white fish such as cod, halibut - Pacific, not California - or even shrimp).
Fish Tacos
(Makes 6 tacos)
1 pound fish with skin on or shrimp
2 limes, juiced
1⁄2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 jalapeno, thinly sliced rounds
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper
Spicy Jalapeno Coleslaw (see below)
6 corn tortillas (or flour if you prefer)
Garnishes: sliced avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, and lime wedges.
In a plastic seal bag or shallow glass dish, mix lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the fish and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat your grill. The grill is why I said skin-on. It's easier to cook on the grill so the fish doesn't fall apart. Flesh side down, cook the fish for 3 minutes with the grill covered.
Finish the fish off on the skin side for about 3-5 minutes with grill covered, depending on the thickness of the fish you get. You want fish to be opaque inside. Cut the fish into 1 inch pieces.
While the fish is finishing up, heat the tortillas on the grill.
Spicy Jalapeno Coleslaw
1 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup Jalapeno aioli (below)
1 tablespoon McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning
Salt and pepper
My Gram uses the Salad Supreme in her regular coleslaw and it adds so much, so I decided to try it in this slaw too and it works well. Toss all ingredients together and let sit in the fridge while marinating and cooking the fish. Enough time to allow the slaw to, as Emeril would say, "get happy."
Assembly
Top tortilla with slaw, fish, and your favorite garnishes. Squeeze a lime over the entire taco and eat!
Jalapeno Aioli
1 whole jalapeno, stem cut off
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄4 sour cream
1⁄2 bunch of cilantro
Salt and pepper
Place jalapenos in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until all combined.
Yep, it is that easy! Enjoy!
• Amanda Skiba of Dayton is a single mom of a preschooler working full-time as a paralegal in Carson City. She's passionate about cooking and posts her favorite recipes at asweetbean.
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