I had always wanted to try fish tacos, but a part of me knew that even if I found an absolutely perfect restaurant here in New York—there are, of course, many contenders –the dish would still be lacking what makes them a West Coast phenomenon (I'm thinking sun, sand, and ocean waves). I figured homemade would be a good substitute, especially since this recipe is lighter than most mainly because the fish is baked and not fried. I used cod because it was available, but any white fish will do. The fun here is in the marinade, sauce, and accompaniments–and how wonderfully colorful the tacos look when assembled.

 

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Ingredients

Marinade:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

4 cloves garlic, grated or mashed

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 pound tilapia, mahi-mahi, or cod fillets, cut into chunks

 

Sauce

1 (8 ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons lime zest

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay

salt and pepper to taste

 

Toppings

1 (10 ounce) package tortillas (or homemade)

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 avocado, diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded

2 limes, cut in wedges

 

Directions

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended.

2. Place the cut fish in a bowl and pour the marinade. Turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

3. To make the sauce, mix the sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove fish from marinade, draining and discarding any excess. Prepare tray with racks set above foil. Bake fish on rack in a preheated oven until it flakes and is opaque, about 10 minutes.

4. Assemble tacos by placing chopped fish in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of toppings. Drizzle with sauce.
To serve, roll tortillas around filling and garnish with lime wedges. Pair with beans and/or rice.