Halibut Fish Tacos

Last week of June. The summer is fully committed now and I have been cooking accordingly: more cold things, more grilled things, more things that do not require the oven to be on for hours. I made a mango habanero salsa this week that I am very pleased with: fresh mango, red onion, cilantro, lime, and a small amount of habanero pepper that requires real respect. The heat sneaks up on you with habanero. I tasted a piece of raw pepper and immediately understood why. The salsa is sweet and fruity and then warm in your chest in a way that lasts. I have been eating it with chips and on top of grilled chicken and scrambled into eggs in the morning.

Crystal texted on Thursday with something that surprised me: she sent a photo of a dish she had made at the shelter kitchen. Rice and beans, simple, but she said she had been paying attention to what the shelter cook did and tried to replicate it on her off day. She said: it was not as good as the original but it was not bad. I said: that is all you can ask of a first attempt. She said: I thought you would say that. I said: why. She said: you seem like the kind of person who knows how these things work. I sat with that for a while. I seem like someone who knows how these things work. That is not a small thing to have become.

The salsa was already made and I kept finding new things to put it on — chicken, eggs, chips off the counter at midnight — and eventually the obvious answer arrived: fish tacos. Halibut is mild and clean and it does exactly what you need it to do, which is get out of the way of the mango and the heat. After Crystal’s text, after sitting with the idea that I seem like someone who knows how these things work, making something this straightforward and this good felt exactly right. You do not always need to prove anything. Sometimes the salsa does it for you.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs fresh halibut fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/4 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
1 lime, cut into wedges
Fresh cilantro, for serving
Mango habanero salsa, for topping (see story above)

Instructions

Season the fish. Pat halibut pieces dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Drizzle fish with olive oil and coat evenly with the spice mixture.
Cook the halibut. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add fish pieces and cook 3—4 minutes per side, until the fish flakes easily with a fork and has a golden crust. Do not overcrowd the pan; work in batches if needed.
Warm the tortillas. Heat tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, until lightly charred and pliable. Wrap in a clean towel to keep warm.
Assemble the tacos. Layer each tortilla with shredded cabbage, a few pieces of halibut, a spoonful of mango habanero salsa, and a drizzle of sour cream or crema.
Finish and serve. Top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately while the fish is warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Halibut Fish Tacos — Sweet Heat and the Summer You Finally Know What You’re Doing