Another entry from my 30 while 30 list!  I, believe it or not, had never had a fish taco until I made this recipe.  I saw Alton Brown do this on the food network and thought – well that looks easy enough that I could do it!  It certainly sounded tasty too.  Lately all I’ve been thinking about is how we need a vacation – warm sand, cool water, and margaritas sound incredibly nice right about now.  This week, we finally decided to put the rubber to the road, and decided to plan a trip to California.  To get a jump start on feeling several thousands of miles away from cold weather and work, I decided to whip up a batch of fish tacos from the recipe I saw on Good Eats with Alton Brown.  I have to say, the recipe is so easy it could be made on any weeknight - but the taste blew me out of the water – it is simply amazing.  The important thing to keep in mind is that you need to start the crema 24 hrs prior to making the recipe!  The fish was perfectly seasoned and juicy, the tastes of the crema and shredded cabbage were fresh, and with a little sprinkle of lime juice I really felt like I was a million miles away already.  Now the original recipe calls for homemade tortillas – which I actually did make, although this threw a whole extra layer of complexity - more on that later!  But, if you opt for picking up pre-made tortillas, this really would make a very easy and delicious weeknight meal.  It was fantastic with a tangy margarita…and sitting by the fire on a cold February night if (like me) you don’t happen to already be in Southern California.

Fish Tacos

Source: Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves
• 2 limes, zested
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1 pound tilapia fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 (7-inch) round Flour Tortillas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Shredded red cabbage
• Lime wedges

Directions

In a food processor, combine garlic, cilantro, lime zest and spices.  Pulse several times, until ingredients are well combined.  Add tequila through the spout as the processor is running to combine well.  Take the tequila mixture and place it and the tilapia filets into a glass container, ensuring that the fish is covered well.  Marinate for 15-20 minutes.  After fish has been sufficiently marinated, saute filets in olive oil over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until fish turns opaque.  Cut filets into strips.  Serve with crema, cabbage and lime wedges in warm tortillas.

To make the Crema:  Place heavy cream in a jar.  Microwave for 30 seconds, then add buttermilk.  Place the closed jar in a warm area for 24 hrs, or until the liquid becomes thickened.  Add the chipotle pepper with adobo sauce and salt, and use an immersion blender to combine. (be careful not to overmix, lest you accidentally make butter!)

I love tuna.  It’s one of my favorite restaurant picks when out for a dinner on the town – but I recently I was thinking I could not remember the last time I tried preparing it myself.  Partly, this is because recently I’ve started liking tuna rare, which seemed a bit intimidating as I’ve never really made any rare foods besides steak.  But, I did some research on rare tuna safety and figured – no time like the present to try it myself.  So, I picked up some tuna steaks at my local favorite seafood source.  The night we broke out this recipe, I had a simultaneous craving for mojitos and figured I would look for some variety of cuban flavor to add to the tuna.  I modified the recipe slightly – mostly, I swapped out the lemon juice for lime juice, because I wanted it to go well with my mojito!  It was incredible – obviously any rare food has some risks, but we lived on the edge – left ours rare and the tuna steak remained juicy and delicious.   The recipe has just enough bite without overwhelming the tuna - and the mojito was perfect for putting out the fire.

 

Cuban Lime Grilled Tuna Steak - adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

Mix together olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, onion and cumin.  Stir in about 3/4 of the cilantro (reserve the remainder for garnishing later) to the mix.  Place the tuna steaks into a glass baking dish, and coat both sides of each steak well with the marinade.  Marinate covered in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Preheat grill to high heat.  Grill the tuna steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side – or more if you prefer well-done tuna.  Garnish with the remaining cilantro, and lime if you wish – and enjoy!