It’s summer and the perfect time to start grilling. Keep on Cookin with Nick Rabar has a delicious Grilled Fish Taco recipe featured in the latest Simply Southern New England episode.
Nick Rabar 00:06
Hey everybody, Nick Rabar here, and today we’re making the ultimate summer dish – grilled fish tacos. Fish tacos have been done a million different ways over time. Today’s version is going to involve a lot of very fresh, vibrant ingredients. To start we’re going to be using black bass – a common fish in Rhode Island and it’s absolutely phenomenal.
Moho Marinade
00:26 For the marinade we’re going to put on it – and it holds up really, really well for grilling – I’m going to be making a Moho marinade. So Moho is a very fresh vibrant sauce that consists of garlic, citrus, fresh herbs, and a little bit of jalapeno peppers. To make this Moho we’re gonna need jalapenos, fresh orange, lime, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Put them in a blender and voila, we’ve got Moho all of these ingredients are going to work absolutely perfect. Here the citrus is going to add so much acidity to this dish, you’ve got this sugar that’s going to add a touch of sweetness, of course the garlic and jalapeno, fresh, vibrant, beautiful, delicious flavors.
Citrus Salsa
1:11 Now we’re going to let this fish sit for about 15 minutes and we’re going to make this citrus salsa. So citrus sauce is not something you see every day. It’s not the most common of the fruit sauces, but it is one of the most flavorful you can find. I’m going to start by putting in some grapefruit and then I’m going to put in some orange, I’m going to squeeze some fresh lime juice. Then we’re going to go in with a little bit of olive oil, just enough to coat it. And let’s hit it with some ginger. Let’s go in with some scallion little spice with some jalapeno. And then of course, some fresh cilantro. Now let’s give that a stir. And watch all those stunning ingredients come together.
Grilling
2:01 So now that this fish has sat for about 15 minutes, we’re going to go right on the grill. So you have the skin side of the fish. And then you have the top of the fish that has the marinade on it. We’re gonna go just like that with the skin side up. And we’re gonna put it right over the charcoals but not over the hottest part of the charcoals just slightly over to the side. Otherwise, it might overcook on the outside before it’s fully cooked on the inside. You want a lot of char but not a crazy amount. And oh man, they look so good. Mission accomplished. Let’s let him sit for a few. The smell of these filets grilling are turning heads all over this place. So let’s get these out of there because they are absolutely perfectly cooked. These delicate little filets, it’s okay, if they break up on you a little bit because it is a very fabulously flaky fish.
Tortillas
3:00 This is a pretty important step, we’re gonna go right on the grill with these white corn tortilla. A little less important for the Chari but definitely for the softening of the tortilla. Now that these are coming off, they’re nice and pliable. They steam themselves well all the way through.
Building the Taco
3:19 Let’s go ahead and build a taco. So as I said about this bass, it’s very, very flaky and that’s exactly what you want in a fish taco. Just break off some beautiful chunks that come right off the skin. And you can see inside stays nice and moist while the outside has a beautiful char on it. Now, over here I’ve got a quick little crema, this crema is made of cream cheese, mayonnaise, chipotle, and lime. It’s just a little something to add a little smokiness and a little creaminess to the dish. Then, besides the fish, the star of the show is this gorgeous citrus salsa. Which again has the ginger, the lime the jalapeno, everything great. I’ve got a little shredded cabbage, a couple of cilantro leaves, touch it cotija cheese. And of course no taco’s complete without that one last little squeeze of fresh lime. And that is what I call the ultimate grilled fish taco done the Simply Southern New England way. I’m your old pal Nick Rabar. Thanks for watching as always, and until we meet again, keep on cooking.
Wine Pairing
04:36 Krasi Lafore
Hello, I’m Krasi Lafore and I’m the fine wine manager here at Wines & More in Rhode Island, and I’m excited to introduce you to a great wine pairing for chef Nick’s fish tacos. I love his taco recipe there is so much going on in the sauce and in the south. There is a little bit of heat from the jalapeno and which part of the peppers and there is some sweetness and the add from the orange in line with all that and the fact that summers around the corner. My recommendation for chef next fish taco is Chateu de Jonquieres, from the beautiful region of Guangdong in southern France. This dry Rose is made from Syrah, Grenache, grapes and has flavors of wild summer flowers, watermelon, and peaches. Stop by and pick a bottle of this lovely Rose and try it for yourself.
Cheers and we hope to see you soon here once more in Cranston, Rhode Island.
