The Ultimate Fish Tacos Are Grilled

Method1) Prep. Make the pico de gallo, then set it aside.2) Make a white salsa by mixing the sour cream, chipotle, and salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate. You can use powdered chipotle, about 1/2 teaspoon, but the salsa will need to sit for about an hour to let the flavors marry. With chipotle in adobo, the marriage is consummated immediately. And I like the flavor better.3) With a sharp knife, cut the cabbage into thin shreds. Cut the limes into quarters. Place them both on your dining table.4) Warm the tortillas. Traditional fish tacos are made with corn tortillas, but flour tortillas work just fine here. Either way, you want them warm. You can heat the tortillas by tossing them on the grill for about 30 seconds per side, and them putting them in a warm frying pan. Just heat the pan, take it off the flame, toss in the tortillas, and put the cover on. You can also warm them in the microwave, stacked on top of each other, on high for 20 to 30 seconds. If the tortillas are not fresh, moisten 2 paper towels, squeeze out most of the water, and lay the tortillas between the the wet paper towels in the microwave. Or, better still, go out and get fresh tortillas. Be careful not to dry them out. They need to remain flexible.5) Set the table. Put out all the toppings except the avocado before you start cooking the fish, so when the fish is hot you can serve immediately.6) Season the fish. Spread the raw fish fillets on a plate, check for bones, and remove any if you feel them. Then sprinkle the fish with oil and lime juice. Dust the fish liberally with the ancho powder, salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.7) Fire up. Set up your grill for medium-high heat. Oil the fish well so it will not stick, then grill it directly over a medium high heat for 4 minutes on one side. Oil the top of the fish again, flip it, and grill for another minute or three on the second side. Don't worry if it starts to come apart. Alternatively, you could fry fish. To do that, dip it in Tempura Batter rather than a dredge. To pan saute, and cook it in a pan in a mix of 50/50 olive oil and butter over medium high heat with the lid on. 8) Assemble and Serve. Cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit and with a big spoon, scoop out the flesh. Slice it and place it on a plate near the other toppings. Squeeze some lime juice over it to help prevent browning. Place the plate of cooked fish near the pico, white salsa, avocado, and cabbage on your dining table. Serve by scooping about 1/4 pound of fish into the center of a warm tortilla, add the toppings of your choice, and a generous squeeze of lime juice. If you use corn tortillas, roll up the taco like a cone with the bottom nice and tight to hold in the filling. If you use flour tortillas, they are soft enough to fold to seal in the fillings. In that case, make believe you are wrapping a birthday gift. Fold the bottom side up and slightly over the fillings. Then pull the two sides that are perpendicular to the bottom across and over the fillings, squeezing them together until the sides overlap and the bottom is held in place. Eat from the open top end, leaning forward over your plate so your shirt and shoes stay clean.