Simply put, these tacos are an explosion of delicious flavors, and you’ll want to savor every bite. They’re refreshing, tangy and spicy — all at once.
Starting with the Spicy Pickled Cabbage I shared on Saturday, I did my best to recreate the mind-blowing fish tacos I had at Hale I’A Da Fish House in Kawaihae. The flavor profile is pretty close, though the eating experience is quite different when you’re not sitting alongside a truck, across the street from the ocean in Hawaii. Just close your eyes and you’ll be there.
Enjoy!
Please note that the prep time does not include making the Quick Spicy Pickled Cabbage, which takes about 1 hour, 15 minutes, and can be made a day or more ahead of time. (1 hour is marinating time.)
Recipe
grape seed oil for the pan (or other neutral oil)
about 10 (8-inch) flour or corn tortillas
1-pound filleted Mahi Mahi (or other firm white fish - preferably wild caught)
¾ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, dried ground oregano, smoked paprika, sea salt, dried ground thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 medium-sized avocados
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
about 3 cups Quick Spicy Pickled Cabbage (the recipe is here)
about 1 cup shredded Romaine lettuce
about ¾ cup sour cream
abut ¾ cup El Pato Salsa de Chili Fresco (or another salsa you like)
sliced black olives and diced fresh tomato for garnish
- Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with the oil and place it over medium-high heat. Add as many of the tortillas as you can fit. Sauté each side for a minute or so, until they're crisp. Use kitchen tongs or a fork to fold each one in half. Repeat until all of the tortillas are done, placing them on a large plate as you go. Set aside.
- Place the fish fillets on a clean, dry surface and coat the bottom of the same large sauté pan with a bit more oil. Preheat the pan over high heat and in a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, salt, thyme and cayenne. Sprinkle both sides of the fillets evenly with the spice mix and a bit of black pepper, placing them directly in the hot pan as you go. (You should hear a sizzling sound when they hit the pan -- if you don't it's not hot enough yet.)
- Sauté the fish just until it's cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool on a large covered plate. Once it's cool enough to touch, use your hands to break it into smaller pieces (not too small -- they should be bigger than bite-sized.)
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mash the avocados. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper (Here's how.) Set aside. (Here's How to Peel and Cut an Avocado.)
- Fill the prepared taco shells, evenly distributing the ingredients in the following order:
- pickled cabbage, fish, lettuce, sour cream, avocado and salsa.
- Garnish each one with the olives and tomatoes.
- Serve!
