I was there when fish tacos migrated across the border from Baja California to San Diego, California—I know what a fish taco should be. And it doesn’t have mango salsa! No salsa at all, in fact. And, never, ever, under any circumstances should there be batter-fried fish! Shame on whomever put a piece of batter-fried fish in a tortilla—I’m guessing it was a fast food chain restaurant—naughty, naughty. The fish is supposed to be grilled; grilled and seasoned, and served on warm corn tortillas—not flour. Not crispy tortilla shells.

A warm corn tortilla folded in half to encase grilled fish, coleslaw—yes, coleslaw—a squeeze of fresh lime, and a garnish of cilantro, diced fresh chilies, and onion.

That all being said, last summer Bon Appetite published a recipe for Perfect Fish Tacos. They didn’t get the recipe quite right, but the marinade was good and the lime enhanced sour cream was to die for. So here is my recipe for Fish Tacos, I can’t call them authentic any more because of the lime sour cream, but they do have coleslaw, grilled fish, corn tortillas, lime, cilantro, chilies and onion 🙂

Grilled Fish Tacos

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs. of firm white fish—Halibut, Cod, Mahi-mahi…
• 8 corn tortillas OR 16—fish tacos are often composed of two folded corn tortillas, but I find one to be sufficient, unless using street taco size tortillas, then you might need two.

For the Marinade

• 1/3 cup veg. oil
• 3 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt OR ½ teaspoon table salt

For the Coleslaw

• 2-3 cups shredded green cabbage—use 1 cup red cabbage if you have it
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped

For the Coleslaw Dressing

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the Lime-Sour Cream

• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lime zest (from two limes)
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

For the Garnish

• ½ bunch chopped cilantro
• 1 diced fresh green chili
• ¼ cup diced onion

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the coleslaw.
   • Combine mayonnaise, sugar and apple cider vinegar.
   • Whisk to combine and to dissolve any lumps.
   • In another bowl combine cabbage, carrot, and celery, then pour dressing over cabbage mixture and set aside for flavors to meld.
2. Marinate the fish.
   • Cut fish into thick slices that will fit comfortably into a folded corn tortilla.
   • Combine marinade ingredients and then pour over cut fish.
   • Marinate fish pieces for 30 minutes.
3. Make the Lime Sour Cream.
   • Combine sour cream, lime zest and lime juice, stirring to mix well.
4. Make the garnish.
   • Being a gringo wimp, I just garnish with cilantro for myself. When I have guests, I combine cilantro with chopped onions and chilies.
5. Remove the fish from the marinade and broil, grill, or pan fry. Cook just until fish is white and flakes easily with a fork—about 5-7, minutes total, though cooking time depends on the thickness of the fish slices and the intensity of the heat.
6. Heat corn tortillas on grill or in a dry frying pan for about 1 minute on each side.

Done! Combine tacos in kitchen, or provide bowls of each component and allow diners to assemble their own fish tacos at the table.

To assemble, place a piece of fish in the middle of the warm tortilla, then, place a scoop of coleslaw next to the fish. Drizzle some lime sour cream over fish and sprinkle with desired garnish. Fold, and eat! It could get messy, though, so have plenty of napkins on hand—heaven.

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy your Fish Tacos! Now, what’s for dessert?