Basic Fish Taco Recipe

I love fish tacos!  Never had one I didn't like, and have never had the same one twice.  But I've learned there is one thing that makes a huge difference:  the double shell.  Not only taste, but texture. You'll need a soft-shelled corn tortilla on the outside (warmed) and then lined with refried beans (I used black refried bean).  Then a warmed hard-shelled corn tortilla tucked into that.  The beans keep the two sticking together, and the soft-shelled tortilla keeps the other from crumbling and stuff falling out.  And again, the taste is so much better.

Personally, I love avocado slices on mine, but Jim won't eat plain avocado, so I made a guacamole to add to it.  You could also add sour cream or salsa, but for me, I just like the beans, slaw, and avocado slices.  A standard fish I keep on hand is Swai, but if I didn't have that, I'd probably use tilapia.  But below is the full recipe I found on www.chow.com.  You could use refried beans, Spanish rice, black bean and corn salad, or a fruit salad as side dishes.

BASIC FISH TACO RECIPE (4 servings)

1 pound firm white fish (Swai, tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi mahi, or catfish)
2 limes, halved
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for oil the grill grates
S&P
1/2 small head of green or red cabbage (about 14 oz), cored and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
6-8 (6") soft corn tortillas
6-8 hard corn tortillas
Sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)
Guacamole, for garnish (optional)
Salsa, for garnish (optional)
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Hot sauce, for garnish (optional) 

Place the fish in a baking dish and squeeze a half of a lime over it.  Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and 1 Tbsp of the oil.  Season w/S&P and turn the fish in the marinade until evenly coated.  Refrigerate and let marinate at least 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the slaw and warm the tortillas.

Combine the cabbage, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and squeeze half of a lime over it.  Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, season with S&P, and toss to combine.  Taste and add more S&P if necessary, set aside.

Warm the tortillas by heating a medium frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tortilla at a time, flipping to warm both sides, about 5 minutes total.  Wrap the warm tortillas in a clean dishcloth and set aside until you prepare the fish (I put my soft tortillas in a ziplock and microwaved for 15-30 seconds, until they felt warm.....I put my hard tortillas in a 325 oven for about 5 minutes).

Brush the grates of a grill pan or outdoor grill with oil (I used spray "Grill Pam") and heat over medium-high heat until hot.  Remove the fish from the marinade and place on the grill.

Cook without moving until the underside of the fish has grill marks and is white and opaque on the bottom, and about 3 minutes.  Flip and grill the other side until white and opaque, about 2-3 minutes more.  Transfer the fish to a plate.

Taste the slaw again and season as needed with more lime juice.  Slice the remaining lime halves into wedges and serve with the tacos.  To construct the taco, break up some of the fish, place it in the doubled-tortilla and top it with slaw and any optional garnishes.

Recipe Source:  www.chow.com