Tacos are definitely on the top of my all times favorites list. They have so many different versions, but for me, they always need to be spicy, tangy, and fresh. And these fish tacos here cover all the points. I have given you a simple recipe to prepare the actual tortillas from scratch too. I recently got myself a tortilla press and have been making my own little tortillas at least once a week.
For me, it is so satisfying to see how two simple ingredients make something so wonderful. Before I had a tortilla press I once organized a taco party and hand-rolled 80 little tacos. After that, I took a long break from any homemade tortillas, but once I got the tortilla press, the break is over. So much easier than hand-rolling. And they look prettier too. Not all the kitchen gadgets I get end up being used much, but it seems that the tortilla press is here to stay. That all said – if cooking is not something that you voluntarily spend much time on – just get the tortillas from the shop and the rest of the recipe is easy-peasy!
The pressure point is cooking the fish – do not overcook it. I used cod, and you can see in the picture how it is just flaking away. A similar thing happens with most white fishes – it needs to be glistening and not dry. One trick is gently to press on the fish – once it starts flaking away, immediately remove it from the heat and serve.
Fish Tacos
Serves: 2-3
Cooking time: 1 hour (25 minutes if using store-bought tacos)
For tortillas:
1 cup of masa harina flour
¾ - 1 cup of very warm water
For the filling:
About 10 oz of white fish fillet without the skin
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground paprika (I use spicy, you can use whatever you prefer)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
Oil, for frying
1 red onion pickled in ¼ tsp of salt and the juice of ½ lime
2 small or 1 large ripe avocado
The juice of 1 lime
A handful of fresh coriander
1 tomato
Pickled jalapeno, to taste
Instructions: If making your own tortillas mix the masa harina with ¾ cup of very warm water. If the mix doesn’t hold together, add more water. Then roll the dough into small balls similar to ping-pong balls, and cover the balls with a kitchen towel.
Heat the pan to medium heat, then press one tortilla at a time and gently place it on a pan. In about 10 seconds flip it to another side, then cook for 50-60 seconds on both sides. Then set aside, cover, and repeat the same with the rest of your masa balls. The process needs a little practicing and getting used to, but once you get a hang of this it is not a difficult process, just a little time-consuming 😊. If you don’t feel like making your own tortillas, it is completely okay to use the ready-made ones.
If you don’t have pickled onions waiting in your fridge (I always do 😊), then slice the onion thinly, sprinkle with salt, squeeze with lime juice and give them a little massage with your fingers. Then set aside until you prepare everything else.
For the fish, mix all the spices. I usually use whole coriander and cumin, grind them in mortar and pestle, then add all other spices and grind for another 5 seconds or so. If you use ground spices, just mix them well.
Cover the fish with spice mixture and set aside for 5 minutes.
Cut the avocado(s) in half, remove the seed and place the flesh in the bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over and season with salt. Mash everything roughly with a fork.
Chop up the tomato, coriander, and jalapeno – mix into the avocado, and season with salt and pepper.
Now you are ready to fry the fish – heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan and cook the fish until it is just cooked and starting to flake easily. Do not overcook the fish, you want it to stay moist.
By Kadri Raig
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She loves to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and don’t take more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks that everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home, it is just a question of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week and write a blog. So if I manage to cook most of my meals, then so do you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website here: www.kahvliga.ee.