Blackened Fish Tacos with Chili-Spiced Slaw and Charred Scallion Salsa
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 generous servings
- Total: 50 min
- Active: 50 min
Ingredients
Fish:
6 fillets snapper, striped bass or other firm white fish (2 pounds total)
Canola or vegetable oil, for drizzling and cooking
Kosher salt
One 1.25-ounce packet taco seasoning
12 soft corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Charred Scallion Salsa, recipe follows
2 limes, quartered
Slaw:
1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded
2 medium carrots, finely shredded
1 bunch scallion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
One 1.25-ounce packet gluten-free chili seasoning
Charred Scallion Salsa:
1 bunch scallions, trimmed
1 jalapeno, left whole
1 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, bottom 2 inches of stems trimmed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 2 limes
Directions
- For the fish: Drizzle each fish fillet with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Dust both sides of each fillet with a thin, even layer of the taco seasoning.
- Heat a large cast-iron pan on the hottest part of a grill or on the stove over high heat. Add a thin layer of oil to the pan and heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Carefully add the fish and cook, undisturbed, until blackened, about 3 minutes. Gently turn the fish over with a spatula and blacken on the second side, another 3 minutes. Remove the fish to a rack to cool slightly before plating.
- For the slaw: Combine the cabbage, carrots and scallion in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the jalapeno, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar and chili seasoning in a medium bowl. Add to the cabbage mixture and mix well to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or sugar if desired.
- Place a few strips of the blackened fish on a warmed soft tortilla and drizzle with Charred Scallion Salsa. Top each taco with slaw and serve with a wedge of lime.
Charred Scallion Salsa:
- Preheat a grill for cooking over medium-high heat. Place the scallions and jalapeno on a large plate or baking pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the vegetables on the grill and cook until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Combine the cilantro, scallions and jalapeno in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the paprika, garlic, cumin, lime juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 10 days.