By MLK Day and the deep freeze of January continues. I used the day off to plan the renovation in detail — where the island counter will go, where the second sink will be, where the pantry shelving needs to expand. I am designing this kitchen the way a general designs a campaign — with strategy, with purpose, with the absolute certainty that this kitchen will be the best kitchen in Hartford and possibly the best kitchen in Connecticut, though I have not surveyed every kitchen in Connecticut and I am open to competition.
Lucas is nine months old. He is pulling himself up to standing, which means everything in the house that is at Lucas-height is now in danger. I moved the lower pots. I secured the cabinet doors. I put a gate across the kitchen entrance because this kitchen is full of heat and sharp objects and I have survived twenty-one years of hospital kitchen safety and I am not going to lose a grandchild to an unsecured cabinet door.
Sofia is back in school. She submitted her nursing program transfer application and now we wait. Waiting is not something I do well. Waiting is the enemy of a woman who has spent her life in action — cooking, feeding, producing, serving. Waiting is the opposite of cooking. Cooking is doing. Waiting is not doing. I handle waiting by doing more cooking, which is circular but effective.
Rosa called about wedding dress shopping. She wants me to come. She wants Mami to come. Three generations of Delgado women in a bridal shop — Carmen loud, Rosa louder, Mami in her chair making observations about hemlines and bust darts that come from sixty years of sewing wedding dresses in Bayamon. Because Mami was a seamstress. Mami made wedding dresses. Mami knows fabric the way I know food, by touch and instinct, and even with the fog she can feel the difference between good silk and bad silk with her eyes closed. She will come. She will feel the fabric. She will tell Rosa what Abuela Consuelo would have wanted. And Abuela Consuelo would have wanted love. Love and good fabric. And pernil at the reception.
Made asopao de camarones — shrimp asopao, thick and rich. Eduardo had two bowls and did not complain about January even once, which means the asopao worked. The asopao always works. It is therapy in a bowl. It is Puerto Rico in a spoonful. It is the January antidote. It is mine.
The asopao de camarones I made that Monday was therapy, but it was also gone by Tuesday — Eduardo saw to that. So when the week pressed on and the renovation plans were spread across the dining table and Sofia was still waiting and I was still waiting alongside her, I needed something that kept me in the kitchen and kept my hands busy without asking too much of me. These Naked Fish Tacos are what I reached for: fast, bright, a little defiant against January, and — like everything worth cooking — built around the sea.
Naked Fish Tacos
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, or mahi-mahi), cut into strips
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- 2 cups shredded cabbage (green or purple)
- 1 cup pico de gallo or fresh salsa
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Season the fish. Pat fish strips dry with paper towels. In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all sides of the fish strips.
- Cook the fish. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish strips in a single layer and cook 3–4 minutes per side, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and has a light golden crust. Do not overcrowd the pan — work in batches if needed.
- Warm the tortillas. While the fish cooks, warm tortillas directly over a gas burner for 20–30 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds.
- Assemble the tacos. Lay a handful of shredded cabbage on each tortilla. Top with a piece or two of seasoned fish. Add a spoonful of pico de gallo, a few avocado slices, and a small drizzle of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Finish and serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and salsa on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 520mg