Fish Tacos for Lunch

Last week was quite the roller coaster ride on the weather front!! Luckily, we were able to take a few days away to spend some time doing 2 of our favorite winter activities: skiing and experimenting with food on our grills. We always have the greatest success when we can spend a few hours together in the kitchen, working with a cornucopia of fresh foods that we have in the refrigerator. Last weekend, in consideration of all of the rich and filling meals that we prepared and shared over the holidays, we concentrated on light, healthful foods, that were packed full of flavour, but were light on fat content (except for the garlic aioli, just enjoy it!). That, and the fact that we we wanted to spend as much time outside as we could, before the polar vortex descended upon us, lead us to the creation of this fantastic lunch of Fish Tacos with Guacamole and Pickled Onions. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos

1 pound cod, cut into 1” chunks

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

for the marinade:

2 arbol chiles

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¾ cup orange juice 

1 clove garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon allspice

corn tortillas

Place all the marinade ingredients in a small pan, and bring to a simmer over MEDIUM LOW heat.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool.  Remove and discard the chiles.  Meanwhile, soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent scorching.

Alternate the cod and shrimp on skewers, and place them in a shallow glass pan.  Pour the marinade over top, cover and let stand 15-30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM, and clean the grids with a steel brush. Using a silicone basting brush, lubricate the grids well with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.  Place the skewers on the prepared barbecue, and cook, basting with the marinade, until the shrimp is just opaque and the fish just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. 

At the same time, heat a cast iron frying pan on the side burner or stovetop over medium heat.  Place one corn tortilla at a time in the pan to warm, turning once.  Stack the warmed tortillas on a platter and keep warm. 

To assemble, build your tacos using the toppings listed below as well as some salsa and shredded lettuce.  Use a fork to slide the grilled fish off the skewers and onto the tacos.  

Toppings:

Guacamole

2  ripe avocados
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp red onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
dash of Tabasco sauce
juice of a lime 
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mash with a pastry blender until all ingredients are combined. It will still be slightly chunky, and we like it that way.
 
 

Lime Aioli

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ cup lime juice

1 1/3 cups olive oil

Place all the ingredients in a tall narrow glass measuring cup.  Position the blade of an immersion blender in the bottom (where the egg yolks are) and turn it on. Within seconds the mixture will come together to create this delicious sauce. 

If you do not have an immersion blender, place all ingredients except for oil in a blender.  With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream until it is incorporated.

Can be made a day or two ahead.

Pickled Onions

 

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

Toss together in a small bowl and let stand at least 30 minutes.  Can be made a day or two ahead.