Fresh Fish Recipes – Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos with Spicy Tomato Salsa:  Ensenada, Mexico claims to be the birth place of the fish taco – simply small pieces of batter-coated, fried fish in a hot corn or wheat tortilla. Some of the best fish tacos can be found at the small food stands around the Mercado Negro, Ensenada’s fish market.

The people of Ensenada say their port town is the fish taco’s true home, dating at least from the opening of the Ensenada mercado, in 1958.  Folks along the coastal regions of Mexico have been eating fish tacos for thousands of years begining with the ndigenous North American peoples first wrapping their fresh offshore catch into stone-ground-corn tortillas.

Fish tacos were popularized in the United States by Ralph Rubio, who first tasted them while on spring break in Baja, Mexico. According to Rubio, there was one Baja vendor named Carlos, who ran a hole-in-the-wall taco stand with a 10-foot counter and a few stools. Carlos fried fish to order and put it on a warm tortilla. Customers added their own condiments. Rubio tried to persuade Carlos to move to San Diego, but Carlos was happy where he was and would not budge. He did share his recipe. Soon Rubio opened his own restuarnat in San Diego, called Rubio’s – Home of the Fish Taco.

Here’s a simple fish taco recipe: 

3/4 pound fish fillets
3 limes, juiced
1 quartered head red cabbage
1 avocado
1 3/4 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 (16 ounce) jar ORTEGA Salsa – Thick & Chunky (Medium)
8 corn tortillas

Let the fish fillets (snapper, sole or other mild white fish) marinate in half of the lime juice for 5 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.

Set aside in small bowls, shredded cabbage, peeled and sliced avocado, (drizzle avocado with 1 teaspoon of lime juice), and half of the salsa.

In a medium-size saute pan, heat the rest of the salsa to a simmer. Add the fish and corn, stirring well so that fish is coated and broken into pieces. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily when forked. Remove from heat, spoon remaining lime juice over fish and place on a warm plate.

Place the tortillas on the oven rack and heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed or crispy. Fill each taco with topping.