Mexican cuisine has been popular for a long time, but my recent travels around our country have persuaded me that fish tacos are big now in a way they never were before.
Naturally, perhaps, they are easiest to find in regions with a strong Hispanic influence — particularly California, Texas and Florida — but I’ve also been bumping into them in Chicago and New York.
Traditional fish tacos consist of battered fish topped with shredded cabbage, a drizzle of citrus mayo, all wrapped in a corn tortilla. But there’s plenty of room for variation.
These days the fish might be grilled rather than battered and fried. Sometimes it’s served on flour tortillas, sometimes on corn tortillas. It’s almost always topped with some kind of creamy sauce, as well as with shredded cabbage and avocado.
Whatever. I’ve never met a fish taco I didn’t like.
My version is light on calories, but heavy on flavor. The fish is lightly floured and sauteed rather than deep-fried. The citrus mayonnaise sauce went bye-bye in favor of a puree of avocado and buttermilk. The avocado contains healthy fat, and the buttermilk is as lean as skim milk, but much tastier. Topping it off is shredded cabbage, carrots and radishes tossed with vinegar, salt and a pinch of sugar.
A note about the fish: I used tilapia because it is sustainable, affordable and widely available all year. But substitute any fish you like. Just keep in mind that a thinner fish will take less time to cook.
Healthy fish tacos with buttermilk avocado puree
1 large Hass avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into eighths
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot
1 cup coarsely grated radishes
1/4 cup white wine or cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 8 equal pieces
Whole-wheat flour, for coating the fish
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 6-inch corn tortillas
Sliced fresh jalapeno peppers, to serve
Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve
Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
In a food processor, combine the avocado, buttermilk, 1 clove of garlic, lime juice and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, then set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage, remaining garlic, carrot, radishes, vinegar, sugar, lime zest and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Set aside.
Heat a heavy skillet (such as cast-iron or stainless steel, but not nonstick) over medium heat. One at a time, place the tortillas in the skillet and toast for about 30 seconds per side. As the tortillas are toasted, stack them on a sheet of foil. Wrap the foil around the tortillas, then place them in the over to keep warm. Alternatively, the tortillas can be held with tongs and toasted directly over a gas burner for a few seconds per side.
In a pie plate or other wide, shallow bowl, combine about 1 cup of flour with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. One at a time, dredge each piece of fish through the flour until coated evenly. Shake off any excess.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat about 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the fish to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes a side. Transfer to an oven-safe plate and set in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and fish.
To serve, top each tortilla with a bit of the avocado puree, then a piece of fish. Drain the cabbage mixture, then mound some of that over each portion. Serve with jalapeno slices and cilantro.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 500 calories; 190 calories from fat (38 percent of total calories); 22 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 51 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 31 g protein; 370 mg sodium.
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