Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions and Chilies
Ingredients:
For the pickled onions:
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 6 Tbs. thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 large red onions, thinly sliced
For the marinade:
- 1 large white onion, cut up
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 serrano chilies, stems removed
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, cut into large pieces
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 to 3 Tbs. honey
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 lb. Chilean sea bass or tilapia fillet, cut
into large cubes - Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 to 4 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce, finely shredded
- 12 corn tortillas, warmed
- 1/2 cup canned pickled jalapeño strips
- 3/4 cup crema
- 6 lime wedges
Directions:
To make the marinade, in a food processor, combine the white onion, garlic, chilies, cilantro and lime juice. Process until a coarse puree forms. Season with honey and salt. The flavor should be a balance of tart, sweet, salty and spicy. Pour into a bowl, add the fish and turn to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Remove the fish from the marinade, scraping off the excess, and set aside on paper towels. Season the fish with salt and pepper.
In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add half of the fish and brown, turning as needed, until well seared, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a plate. Repeat with the remaining fish. Break the cubes of cooked fish into smaller pieces and keep warm.
To assemble each taco, place 2 Tbs. of the lettuce in the center of a warmed tortilla and top with about one-twelfth of the fish. Add 2 or 3 strips pickled jalapeño and 1 Tbs. of the pickled onions. Drizzle with 1 Tbs. of the crema. Serve with lime wedges.
