Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado-Lime-Cilantro Crema

Fish and tacos, together in one meal, was a foreign concept to me when I first met my husband.  He was born and raised in San Diego where people widely enjoy fresh fish tacos sold from street vendors and restaurants alike.  I on the other hand grew up in the Midwest, where fish tacos are unheard of and quality fresh fish is hard to come by in grocery stores without paying an arm and a leg.  Although come to think of it, that might just be a reflection of my sheltered and therefore skewed life in the Midwest--fish tacos could have been circulating around me and I was just completely unaware.  I may never know the truth.

It only took one fish taco for my world to be rocked and my obsession to begin.  Now I seek out good fish tacos, whether that's listed on menus, cooked on street corners, lurking around the Internet, or showcased in cooking blogs.  This recipe on What's Cooking on the Mommy Porch? instantly caught my eye.

Here the fish is marinated in a bath of spices, lime juice, and olive oil and then grilled until flaky.  The outcome is light and flavorful fillets that will cause those of you who feel that battered fish is a requirement for good fish tacos to pause and reconsider your point of view.  The fish pairs perfectly with the avocado, lime, and cilantro sauce, or crema, which is both balanced and delicious.  Just as in most fish tacos, it is the crema that steals the show, and when added to a corn tortilla filled with simple shredded cabbage, these fish tacos are lacking nothing.

A special thanks goes out to Lynn for sharing this recipe on her blog.  Go check out What's Cooking on the Mommy Porch? and see her collection of mouth watering recipes and menu plans.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado-Lime-Cilantro Crema
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INGREDIENTS:
Crema:
1/4 cup green onions, greens and whites sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon lime rind, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 ripe avocado, cubed
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Tacos:
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds red snapper, grouper, cod or other firm, thick white-fleshed fish fillet
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage

DIRECTIONS:
1.  To prepare crema:  Combine the first 9 ingredients in a small bowl; mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap touching surface of crema and set in refrigerator until ready to serve.

2.  To prepare tacos:  Combine cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, lime juice, and olive oil is small bowl.  Mix well.  Brush spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish, place in a 9 x 13 baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, preheat gas grill on high.  Clean the grate thoroughly and brush with olive oil.  Turn heat down to medium and grill the fish with the grill cover closed for 5 minutes.  Flip fish fillets and continue to grill for 5 additional minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.  Break fillets into pieces with a fork.

4.  Heat tortillas by placed the stack between 2 plates, dampening lightly, and steaming in microwave for 1 minute.  Divide fish evenly among tortillas, top with with 1/4 cup cabbage and 2-3 tablespoons of crema.

5. Serve with an optional simple mixture of kiwis and mangoes.

Recipe adapted from Mommyporch.com as originally posted on Cooking Light.

This recipe is linked to It's A Keeper and Ultimate Recipe Swap.