Recipe: Grilled Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
For the Tomatillo Salsa
- 6 tomatillos, peeled
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 jalapenos
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
- 1 avocado, chopped
For the Tortillas
- 2 cups masa harina
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup warm water
For the Fish
- 1 pound fresh local white fish like cod or snapper
- Salt and pepper
Garnish: Shredded purple cabbage
Special Equipment
- Tortilla press
- Plastic wrap
- Blender
- Cast iron skillet
- Grill or grill pan
Instructions
For the Tomatillo Salsa
Grill the tomatillos, onions, garlic and jalapenos until charred. Process in a blender with the cilantro and lime juice. Remove from blender and mix in chopped avocado.
For the Tortillas
Combine the masa, salt and water in a large bowl and mix with your hands until the mixture forms into a ball. *you can use a wooden spoon to mix as well
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, such as a cutting board or your counter top. Knead the dough for about 3 to 4 minutes until it becomes smooth and no longer sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at room temp for about 1/2 hour.
Divide the tortilla dough into 10 equal size pieces. Keep the dough covered as you work.
Take one piece and roll it between your hands to form a ball.
Open the tortilla press and lay a piece of plastic wrap on the bottom of the press. Sit the ball of dough on the plastic wrap and flatten the dough by pressing down on it with the palm of your hand. Now lay a second piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough.
Close the press and press down firmly a few times until the tortilla is flattened. The tortilla should be thin and round. Cook the tortillas in a cast iron or non stick skillet.
For the Fish
Fire up the grill or place a grill pan on hot burner. Make sure that either on has been cleaned with an oiled rag. This prevents from getting black marks on the fish. Season fish with salt and pepper and grill on both sides for about three minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
To Serve
Top the tortillas with all the fixings and enjoy! Grab an ice cold cerveza too!
Chef Stephen Gibbs
Executive Chef, Hands On Gourmet
415 412 1242
www.handsongourmet.com
About Chef Stephen Gibbs:
Chef Stephen Gibbs is a co-founder of Hands On Gourmet, the premier culinary events company in the San Francisco Bay Area. His culinary career has included work at such acclaimed restaurants as Wolfgang Puck's Postrio, Roland Passot's La Folie, and Jeremiah Tower's Stars restaurant. Educated at the California Culinary Academy, Chef Stephen has also served as chef at the San Francisco Opera House. In 2000, he created the dining concept and menus for Virgin Atlantic Airline's Upper Class Lounges across the USA.
Chef Stephen's recipes have also been featured in CHOW, Relax, and other magazines, and he has been a guest on several talk shows, most recently the Lisa Birnbach radio show. He loves to share his expertise in culinary team building, and has been quoted in the New York Times and other newspapers.
In 2005, Chef Stephen won an "On the Verge" award from 7x7 Magazine, which honors innovative leaders in creative fields, in the "Menu Creation and Development" category. Before picking up a chef's knife, Stephen spent a decade in Los Angeles working as an actor. You may recognize him from Days of Our Lives or his roles in other 1990's soap operas, sit-coms, and television commercials. He also worked with the legendary Groundlings improv group.
These days, Chef Stephen puts his dramatic skills to use sharing his passion for great food. He produced and starred in Flavor Highway, a series currently available on Taste TV. He has been featured in a segment on the Fine Living Channel, and recently took the lead role in a cooking show pilot with a San Francisco production company. Chef Stephen also makes regular public appearances doing cooking demonstrations in association with national magazines including Gourmet and Women's Health.