I was right.
When I tried the first version of Grilled Fish Tacos, I had three plans for the next attempt. Oil the grill so that the fish wouldn't stick, brush the marinade onto the fish as a glaze, and add some kind of avocado element. And that's exactly what I did.
The result was what I was hoping for - a stronger chili lime flavor, more char on the surface of the fish, and a bit of extra creaminess from the avocado. For this version, you'll need:
- Three mahi mahi fillets
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp ancho chili powder
- 4.5 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Avocado-Mango Sauce
- Red bell pepper
- Napa cabbage
- Onion
PREP: In a zip-top bag, combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Shake until the marinade is thoroughly combined. Add the fish to the siptop bag and marinate for one hour. Thinly slice the bell pepper and onion, and cut ribbons off the tops of several leaves o Napa cabbage. Feel free to substitute another cabbage or lettuce if you'd like.
COOKING: In a dry, non-stick pan, toast the corn tortillas over medium heat until lightly crispy, about two minutes per side. Liberally oil a grill or grill pan and grill the fish, about three minutes per side, rotating the fish 90 degrees at the halfway point of each side. While the fish cooks, brush some of the reserved marinade on the side facing up. Just brush a thin layer of the marinade on when the fish goes down, when you rotate the fish, when you flip the fish, and when you rotate the second side. If the last application is still a bit liquid after the six minutes are up, flip the fish one more time and just quickly cook the glaze for 20-30 seconds before pulling the fish off the grill. Mine, by the way, looked like this when it was done:

Break the fish up into bite-size pieces, then add a few pieces to the corn tortilla. Top with a spoonful of the avocado-mango sauce and a few pieces of each of the vegetables. With no other sides, any sane person will eat at least four tacos, using about one fillet's worth of fish, so this recipe serves about three.
Comments
Oh man do those look good.
Sat, 10/03/2009 - 18:38 — jonskerrThere was a place in Des Moines in the early 80s called Big Al's Killer Tacos. Didn't last long; he couldn't get a liquor license. Plus his tacos were so huge there's probably no way he could have made money on them. I want a Big Al Killer Taco with on of these Mahi Mahi fillets inside. Those tacos were the size and shape of a football, and about half as thick. Take this taco filling and fry up a killer taco, oh boy. Wouldn't have to eat again for three days.
Jon
Grilled Fish Tacos
Fri, 10/09/2009 - 18:55 — Leland J. Tankersley (not verified)I made these for dinner tonight; they were very good. The flavors are surprisingly subtle. We made our own tortillas which I think was a good call -- store-bought might overwhelm the flavors.
I think the fish would also do well in a non-taco application. Maybe even a fish taco salad, with the avocado-mango sauce as a dressing. I might explore this option over the weekend, actually -- leftovers.
I think I'll try the new carnitas recipe soon; that sounds good. Seems to me the meat might make a good tamale filling; maybe I'll give that a whirl.
Tamales
Fri, 10/09/2009 - 20:09 — Bryan LambertThat's a brilliant idea. I've never made tamales, but I immediately imagined what this pork would taste like in one, and you should do it.
Glad you enjoyed the tacos.
Minor Addition
Sun, 11/22/2009 - 16:20 — Bryan LambertYou know what doesn't hurt this recipe at all? About a teaspoon of garlic powder in the marinade.