Cooking Class with Chef Ivan Flowers - Lesson 41 Fish Tacos

My last Cooking Class was all about applying your creativity to cooking. I hope you tried a few of my watermelon recipes and more importantly, came up with a few of your own!

This week I wanted to cover a dish that is fairly new to me, fish tacos. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I ate a lot of roast chickens, pates and knishes, but no fish tacos. I did not “discover” them until I moved to Arizona and I did not start making them until I moved to California. Now, I love them. The best part about fish tacos is that there are so many interpretations. They are made with all types of fish, different types of tortillas and of course, a variety of toppings. I’m going to teach you how to make a pan-seared Mahi- Mahi fish taco on warm corn tortillas with slaw, avocado and chipotle crema.

Before get into it, let’s talk about fish and tortillas. I use Mahi-mahi because it is tender, flaky, sweet and readily available. If you don’t want to use it, you can substitute any sweet white fish like: halibut, cod or pollock. Now, I like a corn tortilla when I make these tacos. There is something wonderful about that corn flavor melding with the sweetness of the fish that I adore. You can use flour if you prefer, but I do hope you try the corn.

Now let’s get cooking!

This recipe will make eight fish tacos. You will need:

• three small bowls
• one large bowl
• two non-stick large sauté pans,
• whisk
• spatula
• spray oil
• pastry brush
• 1 ½ pounds Mahi-mahi,
• 8 corn tortillas (8 inch size)
• 1/3 cup canola oil, ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt
• pepper
• 1 ½ cups shredded red cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 minced shallot
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• juice of 1 lime
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 2 avocados
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo
•  1 teaspoon Sriracha

The first thing you are going to want to do is make your slaw. You do this first because you want to give it time to let the flavors develop. You can make this up to 24 hours ahead.

In a small bowl whisk together ½ cup of mayonnaise, the minced shallot, sugar, apple cider vinegar, juice of ½ a lemon, juice of ½ a lime and pepper to taste. Why aren’t we using salt? Because the salt would act on the cabbage, it would cause the cabbage to put out water, causing a watery slaw. Also, it would make the cabbage limp, so the slaw would not be crisp. You will salt the slaw right before adding it to the fish tacos.

Now, in a large bowl combine the cabbage, carrots and cilantro. Add in your dressing until the slaw is JUST coated. You can always add more before serving if you would like, but you don’t want to overdress it and end up with a soggy slaw. Once it is mixed, cover and put in the fridge.

Next you will make the chipotle crema. Again, you make this now, before you start the tacos so that the flavors have a chance to marry. Before we get into it, let’s talk about chipotle. A chipotle is a smoke dried jalapeno. Chipotle in adobo are the smoke dried jalapenos packed in a can with a tomato sauce that is seasoned with many spices. It is smoky, spicy and very rich in flavor. You can find these alongside the canned chilies in your supermarket. In this recipe you want to finely chop one of the chilies from the can, making sure you have plenty of the adobo sauce. Put that chopped chipotle into a small bowl and add: sour cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, Sriracha and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover and put in fridge.

Now, thinly slice your avocados and squeeze the juice of ½ a lime over them. Also, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and then cover and keep in the fridge. Remember, we season every element of a dish so that when they are combined, the flavors build upon each other.

Okay, you are now ready to cook that Mahi-mahi.

First slice it into strips, looking for about a three ounce portion size. Next, in a small bowl combine: canola oil, cumin, coriander and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and using a pastry brush, brush all sides of the fish.

Spray a large non-stick sauté pan with oil and put over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, put in your seasoned fish. Let cook for two and ½ minutes on each side. Do NOT play with/move the fish around, simply let it cook. If you move it around you won’t get that beautiful sear and it may stick.

How do you tell if the fish is done? When you press it lightly with your index finger the fish should feel firm and push back. Once all the fish is cooked, cover with foil and set aside. Now, take another non-stick sauté pan and put it over medium heat. Let the pan get hot and then one by one warm your corn tortillas. It only takes about 30 seconds on each side. This will not only make them pliable, but it will also bring out that fabulous corn flavor.

You are now ready to assemble! First, set up your station with everything you will need: seared fish, warm tortillas, avocado, slaw (checked for seasoning & dressing) and chipotle crema. Lay out two warm corn tortillas and lay to strips of fish down the center of each. Top the fish with the slaw. Now top with slices of avocado. Lastly, add a drizzle of the chipotle crema. Fold in half and serve.

I like to serve these with warm black beans, tortilla chips and salsa. But you can serve them with a salad, Spanish rice, fries, whatever you like. Now that you know how to make them, have some fun. Add sharp cheddar cheese or a pico de gallo. Use flour tortillas and instead of avocado slices, use guacamole. Have fun and remember, as with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what helps you create delicious meals you'll never forget.