Grilled Fish Pico De Gallo

I was in Hawaii when I tasted my first fish taco. I had been surfing all morning, and I was waterlogged, sun-kissed, and seriously starving when I spotted a woman at a beachside cart tucking grilled mahi mahi into tortillas. While this recipe is simple, there are a couple of things that will ensure success. Use super fresh fish, and don’t leave out the cabbage—it adds a nice crunch that accentuates the tenderness of the fish. To relive the outdoor experience, I prefer to grill these, but you can also cook the fish under a hot broiler for about the same amount of time and heat the tortillas over a gas burner.

Pico De Gallo:

4 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 pound total), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small white onion, finely chopped

2 red jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Tacos:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 1/4 pounds fresh mahi mahi fillet, cut into 8 pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 limes, halved

Eight 6-inch corn tortillas

2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage

1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

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Directions

PREP TIME

MINS

COOKING TIME

MINS

Serves

To make the pico de gallo:

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt together. Set aside at room temperature.

To make the tacos:

Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high cooking over direct heat.

In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the olive oil, cilantro, and garlic to blend. Lightly coat the fish with the oil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Oil the cooking grate. Add the fish and grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until barely opaque when flaked in the thickest part with the tip of a small knife. Using a spatula, transfer the fish to a cutting board and let stand for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill the limes cut side down for about 3 minutes, or until they begin to char on the bottom. Remove from the grill. Add the tortillas to the grill and cook, turning halfway through, for about 1 minute, until warmed.

Coarsely break or cut the fish into large flaky chunks and divide it among the tortillas. Top with the cabbage, pico de gallo, crema, and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves. Serve hot with the grilled limes.