These are easily the best Fish Tacos and Salsa I’ve ever made
This month’s Bon Appetit was a treasure trove of great recipes. And the one that really caught my eye was this incredible combination: what Bon Appetit called ‘a mash-up between fish tacos and Chá Cá Lô Vong, a Vietnamese dish featuring a sizzling platter of ginger-turmeric fish tossed in an aromatic mixture of scallions and lots of dill’. All I can add is that this truly was a food marriage made in heaven. We didn’t see the need for the recommended add-ons of cabbage or sliced chiles. We did sprinkle some chopped cashews over the top of the taco but even that was completely unnecessary. The Nuoc Cham Salsa will be a staple on Taco Tuesdays no matter what our taco is filled with. It’s just so good. And the ones in California are reason enough to go out there just to eat one.
The Fish Taco made its debut in San Diego in 1983. 
A man named Ralph Rubio holds the distinction of having introduced the Fish Taco to California itself. As a student on Spring Break from San Diego State, Rubio went surfing in the town of San Felipe on the Sea of Cortes in Baja California. In addition to consuming numerous ‘cervezas’, it turned out that fish tacos, cheap and fast to make, were Rubio’s main sustenance. Rubio was particularly fond of the version made at a hole-in-the-wall taco stand by a man named Carlos. In fact, he was so enamored of Carlos’s fish fried to order that Rubio tried to convince him to move to San Diego. Carlos refused but he did grant Rubio’s request for his recipe. Rubio scribbled it on a piece of paper he pulled from his wallet. A few years later, Rubio opened his eponymous restaurant. And he called it “Home of the Fish Taco”. There are now 156 Rubio’s located in 97 cities in just three states–California, Arizona, and Nevada.
Here are the recipes for both the Salsa and the Fish Taco. After them, some other Tacos to try.
Nuoc Cham Salsa
Absolutely sensational salsa with an Asian twist
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small red onion or shallot, finely chopped
- 1 Fresno or Serrano chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Cilantro
- Kosher Salt
Directions
- Step 1 Whisk lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add tomatoes, red onion or shallot, chile, garlic and cilantro
- Step 2 toss gently to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Sizzling Turmeric-Dill Fish Tacos
A sizzling taco filling of ginger-turmeric fish.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1-2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground Turmeric
- 5 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless cod or halibut filets, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 bunch scallions, dark green parts only, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1/2 bunch dill, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
- 12 corn tortillas, warmed
- Crushed salted dry-roasted peanuts or cashews and lime wedges (for serving)
Directions
- Step 1 Tacos and Assembly: Whisk together garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric, and 3 tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Add fish and gently toss together to coat. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Step 2 Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fish, turning occasionally, until golden brown around the edges and just cooked through–about 4 minutes. Add scallions and dill. Cook stirring gently until scallions are wilted, about 30 seconds. Using a fork, gently break apart fish into large flakes.
- Step 3 Serve fish directly from the skillet. Build tacos topping the fish with salsa, cilantro, and nuts. Serve with Lime wedges.
