I love making tacos and a big part of their allure is the myriad ways you can fill them. Each time out, I can have fun and put a tasty new twist on how I’ll make them.
When deciding what ingredients to use, I’ll start by selecting what the main item of the taco will be and build out from the there. This time, I choose fish, because the B.C. fish fillets I saw at the store shimmered with freshness and I knew they would be splendid to use in a taco.
I bought B.C. lingcod, but as you’ll see in my recipe, rockfish, also called Pacific snapper, and halibut fillets, could also be used. To prepare the fish, I cut it into smaller pieces that would fit nicely inside a taco, quickly marinated them in such things as olive oil, citrus juice and spices, and then baked them. Before doing that, though, I prepared the other toppings for the tacos, letting colour, taste and texture guide me on what they would be.
Many tacos have some form of salsa added to them and so did mine: avocado salsa verde. It was made by blending pieces of ripe avocado with such things as jalapeño pepper, cilantro, seasonings and tomatillos.
Tomatillos, sold in the produce section of some grocery stores, like tomatoes, are a member of the nightshade family. They are about the size of plums and grow inside of a papery husk that’s removed before you prepare them. Tomatillos can ripen to yellow, but they are most often picked and sold while still green and more acidic tasting, with hints of lemon, apple and herbs in their taste profile — flavours that work well with the rich-tasting avocado and fish used in my tacos.
At this point, I had light coloured fish and a vibrant green salsa in my tacos, and I thought something reddish and orange would complement their look. So I made some pickled red onions, and peeled and cubed some ripe mango, and added them to my tacos, too. These tangy and sweet and fruity tastes married well with the fish and avocado salsa verde. As you can see in today’s photo, they also made the tacos look pretty when assembled.
For added richness, I added small dollops of sour cream to my tacos as well as crumbled bits of cheese, which could be queso fresco, feta or soft goat cheese, depending on your preference.
The fish can be cut, and avocado salsa verde and pickled onions prepared, many hours in advance. Just keep them refrigerated until you’re ready to flavour and bake the fish and serve the tacos. If you’re looking for a beverage to serve with the tacos, I can attest that margaritas go marvellously with them.
Fish Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde, Mango and Pickled Red Onion
B.C. fish fillets are sliced, seasoned, baked and served wrapped up in warm tortillas, with a flavourful array of fillings.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 11 minutes
Makes: Four (three tacos each) to six (two tacos each) servings
12 (six-inch round) soft corn tortillas
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp orange
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste
600 grams lingcod, rockfish (also called Pacific snapper) or halibut fillets
• salt, to taste
• Pickled Red Onions (see recipe below)
• Avocado Salsa Verde (see recipe below and Eric’s options)
3/4 cup fresh ripe mango, cut into small cubes, or to taste
• sour cream and cilantro sprigs, to taste
100 grams queso fresco, feta cheese or soft goat cheese, crumbled, or to taste (optional)
Cut two, 12-inch or so long pieces of aluminum foil. Stack six tortillas in the centre of each piece of foil. Wrap the tortillas up in the foil and set them aside for now.
Combine oil, juices, honey, chili powder, cumin and hot pepper sauce in a medium bowl. Cut fish fillets into about 3-inch long, 1-inch wide pieces, removing any bones/skin you find, if there are any. Add fish to the olive oil mixture, toss to combine and let marinate while you preheat your oven to 425 F. While oven heats, also set the taco fillings, the pickled onions, avocado salsa verde, mango, sour cream, cilantro sprigs and crumbled cheese, if using, in serving bowls.
When oven is hot, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set fish in a single layer on the baking sheet, drizzle with any of the olive oil mixture left in the bowl, and then season with salt. Bake fish 5 minutes. Set the foil packets of tortillas in the oven and cook 5 to 6 minutes more, or until the fish is cooked through and the tortillas are warm.
To serve, set out the fish, unwrap the tortillas, and let diners top their tortillas, to taste, with the fish and the taco fillings.
Eric’s options: If you don’t want to make avocado salsa verde, you could simply serve the tacos with a jar of store-bought salsa verde (green salsa), and some cubes of ripe avocado. Salsa verde is sold in Mexican foods aisle of most supermarkets.
Avocado Salsa Verde
A vibrant-green salsa made by blending ripe avocado with fresh tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeño pepper and other flavourful things.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: about one and quarter cups
4 small to medium tomatillos (about 100 grams)
1 large ripe avocado, quartered lengthwise, pulled apart, pitted and peeled
2 to 3 tsp finely chopped jalapeño pepper, or to taste
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp lime juice, or to taste
1 tsp honey, or to taste
2 Tbsp water, plus more if needed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp finely chopped white or yellow onion
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Remove husks from tomatillos, washed in cold water, and then pat dry. Cube the tomatillos and set in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Thin avocado salsa verde with a bit more water, if you find it too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if desired, by adding more lime juice or some of the other ingredients listed. Transfer avocado salsa verde to a tight sealing jar and refrigerate until ready to serve. Salsa will keep a few days in the refrigerator.
Pickled Red Onions
Blanching the onions in boiling water before making these quick pickles mellows their flavour, creating a tangy, nicely textured, not overly oniony condiment to use in fish or other tacos.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: three minutes
Makes: one cup
1 small to medium (about 200 gram) red onion
1/2 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Pour four cups of water into a pot, set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. While it’s coming to temperature, cut the onion in half. Thinly slice each half onion, and then pull into single slice pieces.
When water is boiling, add the sliced onions, stir them, and then turn off the heat. Let onions steep in the boiling water two minutes. Pour the onions into a sieve and let drain five minutes.
Pack the onions into a one-cup (250 mL) canning jar. Place vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Slowly pour this mixture over the onions. Let onions cool to room temperature. Now seal the jar and refrigerate onions at least four hours. The onions will keep a week or more in the refrigerator.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
