Healthy Fish Tacos
Dinner | Mexican
These are my lighter fish tacos made with Adam Sullivan from EBT. Instead of battering and deep-frying the fish, I coat strips of snapper in smoked paprika, chilli, garlic and oregano and sear them on a smoking-hot cast iron griddle. The spices toast on the hot iron and give you a smoky crust, while the inside stays flaky and moist. Add it to warm tortillas with a sharp red cabbage slaw, sliced avocado and a charred tomato and jalapeño salsa.
The salsa is where a lot of the flavour comes from. I char the cherry tomatoes, jalapeño and onion in a dry skillet until they’re blackened in spots and soft, then blitz them with lime juice and salt. Charring adds a sweet, smoky depth you don’t get from raw salsa. While the fish marinates, I shred the slaw, so by the time the griddle’s hot everything is ready to go.
Ingredients
- SALSA
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño
- ½ white onion
- 1 lime
- pinch of salt
- FISH AND SLAW
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 720g white fish fillets (skin off snapper)
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano (or standard oregano)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil spray
- ½ red cabbage
- 1 bunch coriander
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- TO SERVE
- 1 avocado
- 12 flour tortillas
Directions
SALSA
- Place a skillet over high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, jalapeño and ½ a white onion, cut side down. Char for 10 minutes or until the vegetables become dark and tender.
- Transfer the charred vegetables to a blender and blend with a pinch of salt and the juice of a lime. Blend for 30 seconds or until the mixture resembles a smooth salsa. Taste and adjust the seasoning before setting aside.
FISH AND SLAW
- Slice the fish into 4cm x 2cm strips. Place the sliced fish into a bowl and marinate with the paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder, oregano, olive oil, a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix the marinade into the fish and set aside for 10 minutes. While the fish marinates, start on the slaw.
- Finely shred the cabbage and dress in coriander, red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside until you’re ready to serve.
- Preheat a cast iron griddle or skillet over high heat. Apply a thin layer of oil spray over the griddle. Spread the fish around the cooking surface in a single layer. Cook on one side until the fish becomes opaque. (Avoid flipping the fish to prevent overcooking) Place the cooked pieces of fish on a tray lined with a wire rack to rest.
- To serve, warm the tortillas on the warm griddle or microwave for 30 seconds. Serve 3 tacos per portion, with slices of avocado, salsa, fish and slaw.
Recipe notes
White fish
I use skinless snapper because it’s firm enough to hold together on the griddle and has a clean, mild flavour that lets the spices shine. If you can’t get snapper, barramundi, flathead, cod, perch or sole all work really well. Whatever you go for, cut it into even strips so every piece cooks at the same rate.
Mexican oregano
It’s a different plant to regular Mediterranean oregano. It has a more citrusy, slightly earthy flavour that works really well with chilli and smoked paprika. You’ll usually find it in the spice section of bigger supermarkets or at a Latin grocer. If you can’t track it down, standard dried oregano is completely fine.
Red cabbage
Red cabbage is the crunch in these tacos. Shred it as finely as you can, ideally on a mandolin, so it’s tender enough to fold into a tortilla. Dressing it with red wine vinegar, salt and coriander softens it slightly and gives you a fresh, tangy contrast to the smoky fish. It also holds up better than lettuce, so it won’t wilt if it sits for a while.