Lobstery and Delish-y

What do you get when you cross a family reunion on Cape Cod, leftover lobster and a budding young chef? Why lobster fish tacos of course!

Had Max had more time to plan, I'm sure a stellar Baja sauce would have been whipped up. Until then....

4 out of 5 fishies.

This fish taco blogger heads back to the kitchen

It was time to try out a new fish taco recipe and since I'd rather not deep fry anything during a 100+ heat wave, a sautéed fish taco sounded enticing. I found the recipe searching the Food Network index. It comes from the lovely Aarti Sequeira and so it has some interesting Indian elements about it. I bought some flaky cod at Whole Paycheck, picked some fresh mint from the garden and headed over to my favorite co-chef's kitchen for an evening of fish tacos.

The fish was marinated in coriander, ancho chile powder, a dash of cinnamon, salt, pepper and olive oil. The marinade had a lovely smoky Indian aroma due to the coriander, which we mulled by hand, bringing out its nice lemony flavor. The ancho chile powder increased the smokiness of the marinade. Although the seasonings made for a flavorful fish, most of it dissipated into the pool of liquid that the fish disintegrated into. It might be better baked, or perhaps drained of more liquid before sautéing in the pan.

What really rounded out the recipe was the mayonnaise sauce. It too had an Indian kick to it, with plenty of smoky cumin and fresh mint. It was also a little tart from the lime juice and had some pungent spiciness from the garlic, adding to the complexity of flavors.

Stove-top warmed corn tortillas (still looking for a good source in the Lou, as none of the ones I've tried hold together), a handful of scallions and the vinegary crunch of cabbage brought it all together. There was no need for additional lime juice, as the mayo sauce had plenty in it. Skip the suggested banana pepper topping. They made us feel like we were at a Subway restaurant and had to decide whether to order the six inch or the foot long.

A quick, easy and delicious recipe, so go try it today! Although I did not find the suggested Allagash White Ale, I did find a similar beer to pair the fish tacos with -  Avery White Rascal Ale. Spiced with coriander and orange peel, it works perfectly with the tacos and balances their spiciness with its semi-sweet citrus flavors.

4 out of 5 fishies.

This fish taco blogger gets cooking...

Strangely enough, this fish taco blogger has never cooked fish tacos. An easily remedied situation!  So from now on, I will be reviewing an assortment of recipes as well as fish taco serving establishments.

Our first recipe stems from buying a lovely bunch of radishes at the Farmers Market and (with holiday gluttony around the corner) from a craving for something on the lighter side.  Martha Stewart has a scrumptious sounding recipe "Fish Tacos with Salsa Verde and Radish Salad" that called out to me.

The ingredients are as follows: cilantro, lime juice, a jalapeño chile, scallions,radishes, tilapia fillets, corn tortillas, olive oil and salt, pepper and coriander for seasoning.

I loved the colors of the salsa verde and the radish salad (the latter of which was a nice crunchy topping alternative for the standard cabbage).

And the coriander gave the tilapia a lovely little kick!

Who is to say if there is a right or wrong way to make a fish taco? As much as I appreciate battered fish and the Baja sauce, basically a fish taco is a tortilla with stuff on it. And as long as the stuff tastes good and creates a lovely presentation, it is indeed a delightful thing.

P.S. A word of warning... The oils in the jalapeño peppers can irritate your skin, so be sure to wear gloves when seeding and chopping the hot peppers! Wash your hands well with soap and water and be careful not to touch or rub your eyes and nose. Trust me, the oils will really burn! Let's just say I've had a near death by jalapeño experience bringing you guys this blog post!

4 out of 5 fishies. Go make it today!