Recipe: Baja-Style Fish Tacos with Spicy Lemon Pepper Rub and Napa Cabbage Slaw

BAJA-STYLE FISH TACOS
"This lighter, fresher cousin of the beef taco comes from the Baja peninsula on the Pacific Ocean. Served with a tangy, herby slaw in flour tortillas, a fish taco is delicious with a margarita or a chilled Mexican beer and a wedge of lime."



FOR THE NAPA CABBAGE SLAW:
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 cup shredded baby greens, such as escarole, oak leaf lettuce, spinach, or Bibb lettuce
6 scallions, finely chopped (white parts with some of the green)
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
FOR THE FISH:
1 1/2 pounds halibut, red snapper, or orange roughy fillets, with skin on Olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons Spicy Lemon Pepper Rub (recipe follows)
FOR THE TACOS:
8 flour tortillas, warmed
Lemon wedges for serving
1 1⁄2 cups prepared salsa of your choice, for serving

TO MAKE THE SLAW:
Combine the cabbage, greens, and scallions in a large bowl. Whisk the vinegar, sour cream, lemon juice, and salt together in a small bowl. Toss the greens with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away; bring to room temperature before serving. (Slaw can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.)

TO COOK THE FISH:
Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Oil the grill grate or a perforated grill rack.

Brush or spray the fillets on both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with the rub. Place the fish, flesh side down, on the grill rack and grill for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, turning once halfway through. A fish fillet is done when it begins to flake when tested with a fork in the thickest part. Remove from the grill.

TO MAKE THE TACOS:
Break the fish into chunks. Place 4 to 5 chunks in the center of each tortilla, top with about 1⁄3 cup slaw, and roll up. Serve with lemon wedges and salsa on the side.

SPICY LEMON PEPPER RUB

1/4 cup lemon pepper seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Secure the lid and shake to blend.

Makes 4 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Harvard Commons Press
Adapted from source: 25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling Fish by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig