Fish tacos in the setting sun

“Marge, we should make tacos!” This is the reply I get almost every time I ask Sean what we should make for Sunday dinner.

“But, Seeeaaaan,” I moan. “They’re so much work.”

I don’t know why I fight him so often on this. It’s probably partly because we are within menu’s reach of lots of delicious, authentic tacos in Chicago. Why go through all that work when you can buy them for less than $2 apiece? But this time I agreed, with a plan to tackle the elusive fish taco.

After much deliberation, I decided to grill the fish instead of frying it. Mahi mahi is very meaty, so it’s great on the grill, and the avocado crema provides just enough decadence that you really don’t miss the fried fish.

This recipe contains a lot of little steps, but none of them are difficult. And the end result makes the extra effort worthwhile (though I did manage to squeeze in a complaint or two about how many dishes we ended up with).

Wine pairing: I don’t normally suggest wine pairings for my recipes because I know so little, but I must give a little shout out to Red & White Wines in Bucktown for suggesting Petillant Vi d’agulla, a white wine made from Muscat grapes in the Penedes region of Spain, near Barcelona. It’s slightly effervescent, like having sprightly sea air in a bottle. I loved drinking it on the porch with these tacos as the summer sun set.

Grilled mahi mahi tacos

Pickled red onion

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey

Avocado crema

2 ripe avocados
1 serrano chile, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 teaspoons Mexican crema or sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Napa cabbage slaw

1 cup finely shredded napa cabbage
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons canola oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Tacos

2 6-ounce mahi mahi fillets
Canola oil, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 flour tortillas
Avocado crema
Napa cabbage slaw
Pickled red onion
Cilantro leaves, as needed
Mexican crema or sour cream, for drizzling
1 lime, cut into wedges
Hot sauce, for drizzling

For the onions: Toss the onions in a bowl with the vinegar, salt and honey. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for a few hours before assembling the tacos.

For the avocado crema: Scoop the avocado into a large bowl or mortar along with the serrano and lime juice. Smash it until it achieves a chunky consistency. Fold in the cilantro, onion and crema; season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the slaw: Toss the cabbage with lime juice, oil, salt and pepper to taste. Keep in the fridge until ready to assemble the tacos.
Putting it all together: Heat the grill to medium high. Spray the grates with nonstick grilling spray. Brush the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter, and cut into a few large pieces.

To assemble the tacos, spread a dollop of avocado crema on each tortilla. Top with a piece of fish, a large spoonful of slaw, red onion, a few cilantro leaves and a drizzle of crema. Serve with lime wedges, extra crema and hot sauce.