Blackened Baja Fish Tacos with Cilantro Red Cabbage Slaw, Creamy Chipotle Sauce, and Salsa Verde 🌮

• ### For the Fish
• 1 ½ lbs flaky white fish (such as cod or mahi mahi)
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for searing the fish
• kosher salt to taste (at least 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt)
• ### For the Blackening Seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp onion powder
• pinch of cayenne, optional
• pinch of kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika, optional
• ### For the Creamy Chipotle Sauce
• 1 cup of mayo, sour cream or combination of both
• 2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo (see step 6 for other options)
• juice of 1 lime
• kosher salt, to taste
• honey, optional - to balance off the heat if needed
• ### For the Cabbage Slaw
• 1 head red cabbage, sliced thinly
• ½ tsp kosher salt (half as much if using fine table salt)
• 1 tbsp lime juice, or more to taste
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves
• Optional: Anything else you wish to add to enhance the flavour, such as a bit of honey, hot sauce, sugar, etc.
• ### To Assemble
• 16 corn tortillas (warm if possible)
• 2 avocados, sliced
• lots of lime wedges for serving
• ½ red onion, sliced thinly
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves, plus more to taste
• sliced jalapeños
• guacamole, optional
• salsa verde, to serve together with tacos (optional, but works really well with this dish), scroll down for the recipe
• cotija cheese, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   If you are making salsa verde, make it first (scroll down to the recipe). Refrigerate until needed.

2. 2

   Slice the fish horizontally into 3/4" (2 cm) thick sticks.

3. 3

   Place the fish in a bowl or resealable plastic container, and add oil and spices; rub them in to evenly distribute over the fish. Marinate for 10–20 minutes, but not longer.

4. 4

   Next, make the slaw. Place cabbage into a colander or strainer, sprinkle with salt, and gently toss it. Let the cabbage drain in the colander for at least 15 minutes. While it's draining, work on the next step of the taco preparation. After it has drained, don't squeeze the cabbage as it will impact its texture, but try to gently toss the cabbage with a fork, encouraging some of the juice to drip down to avoid your taco from being soggy. Transfer to a bowl, add cilantro and lime juice. Set aside until ready to assemble the taco.

5. 5

   Next, slice your red onions and submerge them in cold water. This will take away their pungency while retaining the crunch. Right before serving, simply drain them and dry them on paper towels.

6. 6

   While the fish is marinating, make the creamy chipotle sauce. Process mayo or sour cream and chipotles in adobo in a food processor or blender until smooth. Stir in the other ingredients (lime juice, salt, honey, if using), tasting as you add them to get the sauce to your preference. Chipotle chilis in adobo are not always easy to find. Feel free to simply add around 2 tbsp (30 ml) of hot sauce, chili sauce, or sriracha to your mayo or sour cream instead of chipotles. Perhaps add smoked paprika or chipotle powder for extra heat and smokiness.

7. 7

   Pour about 2 tbsp (30 ml) of oil into a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and heat it until very hot and almost shimmering. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary.

8. 8

   Combine all of the blackening seasoning ingredients together in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip only one side of your marinated fish into the blackening seasoning, and place the seasoned side down into the hot pan. You will be cooking the fish 80–95% of the way on just one side. The goal is to get it quite blackened, nicely seared, and almost fully cooked through. You should observe the top of the fish turning opaque and starting to look cooked. But be sure not to burn it. You are likely looking at around 5 minutes for this step. Flip the fish gently to sear the other side. You may only need seconds and likely no more than a minute or two on the other side, but again, it will depend on the thickness of your fish. The fish should flake easily and the internal temperature should register 145°F (63°C). Do not overcook.

9. 9

   To assemble the taco: top each warm tortilla with the slaw, place some fish on top, add drained red onions, jalapeño slices, avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, and any other garnishes you may be using. Drizzle with the creamy chipotle sauce. Serve along with salsa verde (recipe follows, optional). Enjoy!

10. 10

    Preheat the broiler to high. Set your oven rack 4" (10 cm) from the heat source.

11. 11

    Place tomatillos and jalapeños on an aluminium-lined baking sheet. Broil until quite charred. The goal is to get them very dark and blackened without burning them. This process may take 8–12 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip your veggies upside down, and broil the other side until charred and the veggies are very tender and cooked through, about another 8 minutes or so. Watch closely not to burn.

12. 12

    Transfer the charred veggies to a blender or food processor, along with their juices, add onion and cilantro. Blend them until smooth with no large chunks remaining, but the salsa is still a bit rough, not perfectly smooth like baby food.

13. 13

    This next step may or may not be needed. If your salsa is too runny, you may reduce it in a skillet on the stovetop. I usually do not need this step, and it only happens when tomatillos are very large and juicy.

14. 14

    Season your salsa with salt. Start with about 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt (half as much if using fine table salt), and adjust according to taste. Add some lime juice—again, start with a tablespoon or two (15–30 ml)—and keep adding more according to taste. Refrigerate for at least half an hour for all the flavours to meld. Feel free to omit jalapeños, use only one of them, and/or remove membranes and seeds for a less spicy version. If your salsa is not spicy enough for your taste, feel free to add smoked paprika or a dash of hot sauce.