all hail the king. [grilled fish tacos w. avocado relish, smoky tomato-Greek yogurt crema & red cabbage-citrus slaw]
I’ve always been a huge fan of Bobby Flay, but after finding this recipe, I’m his number one fan. These tacos are some of the best I’ve ever tasted; they have an incredible complexity of flavors and textures, from the flaky, cinnamon-chile rubbed halibut to the crisp citrus slaw. I’m getting giddy just thinking about eating the leftovers for lunch today!
grilled fish tacos w. avocado relish, smoky tomato-Greek yogurt crema & red cabbage-citrus slaw
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- Avocado relish with cilantro pesto recipe:
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded and roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp. pine nuts
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 4 large, ripe Haas avocados, halved, pitted and diced
- 4 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Smoky tomato-Greek yogurt crema recipe:
- 3 Roma tomatoes, halved
- Canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 3 tsp. chipotles in adobo
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp. oregano or Mexican oregano
- 1 cup 2-percent or non-fat Greek yogurt
- Red cabbage-citrus slaw recipe:
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup orange juice
- 4 tbsp. clover honey
- 4 tbsp. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
- 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1-2 large carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
- Fish rub recipe:
- 6 tbsp. ancho chile powder
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- Grilled fish recipe:
- Four to five 8 oz. halibut filets
- Canola oil, for brushing
- Salt and pepper
- Corn tortillas
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
- For the avocado relish: Put the garlic, pine nuts, serrano, cilantro and salt in a small food processor and blend for a few seconds to reach pesto-like consistency. Transfer pesto to a bowl, then add diced avocado and lime juice.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the pesto until just combined, being careful not to mash the avocado too much.
- For the tomato-Greek yogurt crema: Toss the tomato halves with canola oil, salt and pepper. Place tomatoes, sliced side down, on foil-lined cookie sheet. Place in oven and cook until skins start to peel off, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Combine the tomatoes, vinegar and chipotles in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the garlic, onions, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper, and pulse until slightly smooth.
- Put the yogurt in a medium bowl and swirl in some of the salsa (won't use all of it), being careful not to stir it in completely.
- For the citrus slaw: In the bowl of a food processor, add the lemon juice, orange juice, honey, mustard, basil and some salt and pepper; blend until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the canola oil until emulsified.
- Combine the Napa cabbage, red cabbage and carrots in a large bowl; add ¼ to half of the dressing and toss to coat (reserve the remaining dressing for the fish). Season the slaw with salt and pepper.
- Put the lemon juice, orange juice, honey, mustard, basil and some salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the canola oil until emulsified.
- For the fish rub: In a small bowl, combine the ancho powder, cinnamon, cumin, salt, brown sugar and black pepper in a bowl. Mix to blend.
- For the fish: Brush the top of the fish filets with canola oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and about 3 tbsp. of the spice rub. Let stand for 5 minutes, then grill the filets, spice-side down, over direct heat until the fish is lightly charred and comes away from the grill easily, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 minutes to sear on the reverse side. Move the fish over indirect heat, cover the grill, and cook until the fish is just cooked through, another 3 to 4 minutes; the fish should be just firm when squeezed lightly on the sides. Remove the fish to a platter and let rest for a few minutes.
- While the fish rests, grill the tortillas over direct heat until slightly charred and just warm, about 5 seconds per side. With a fork, flake the fish into large chunks. Drizzle with the remaining slaw dressing and top with cilantro leaves.
- To prepare taco: Place flaked fish on a grilled tortilla, then top with tomato crema, avocado relish and cabbage slaw. Serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Food Network.
Looks so good! I’ve been on a Fish Kick lately – I’m gonna try this but I think I’m going to grill the fish according to this recipe, then enjoy it as part of a meal instead of tacos.
Thanks, Cecile!! The fish would be delicious alone as well–you’ll love the spice rub!
My mouth is watering….it has been ages and ages since i last had a fish taco. This is so yum!
yum yum! These definitely look to die for – I too love me some Bobby! His recipes never disappoint!
Man alive your tacos always look awesome.
Those look like some hefty tacos! And they look delicious too, perfect for this season.
First I’m glad you said leftovers for lunch. It reminds me that I forgot to eat my leftovers I brought for lunch today. Where did the day go?! Secondly, these would likely be my favorite tacos ever. Cinnamon-chile rubbed? That sounds amazing!!!
These tacos look so awesome, colourful and delicious! :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I think you’ve outdone your taco-making self this time. These sound great!
So I made this the other night – they were delicious! Quite time consuming, I must say, but at least you really get a good amount of use out of the food processor. I have a strong aversion towards cilantro so I left it out (and was worried how that would work) but it was still delicious. I didn’t use quite as much garlic but it was still VERY garlicy, which is fine for most people. I might use a little less next time, though. I had a bunch of leftovers since it was just the two of us, and the next day I grilled up some chicken breasts and fed about 7 people with the leftover fixings! Everyone loved them and it was a big hit! Thanks :)