YuMM-y – Taco Night for Any Day of the Week!

Ever since I stepped into the culinary world, I have been on the hunt to find the best fish taco recipe.

I consider myself a Foodie! I also absolutely love trying different cuisines and working with new ingredients.

Learning and teaching have been my biggest passion in this food industry, and my current job as a Chef at Prime Social Kitchen gives me the perfect opportunity to do this.

Fish tacos have always been my go-to. They are just perfect! There can be endless combinations and can be customized based on everyone’s liking or preference.

There is some brilliant balance between the ingredients that go into making any taco, offering just that perfect satisfaction. Due to the nature of my work, I rarely sit down and eat big meals. It just makes me sluggish. LOL! So, tacos to the rescue!

They are fun to make and can be an interactive experience between friends or family. I mean who doesn’t like Taco Night? My personal favourite is blackened halibut tacos. Try it out!

Ingredients

• 4 6” flour tortilla
• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 1 Halibut loin/fillet
• 1 cup blackening/Cajun spice
• ½ small red onion (small diced)
• 1 tomato (small diced)
• 1 small jalapeno (fine diced)
• 1 lime
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• ½ bunch cilantro (finely chopped and save few sprigs for garnish)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Method

1. In a bowl, combine chopped onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro.
2. Cut the lime into ½ and squeeze half a lime juice into the bowl.
3. Add salt, pepper and mix all ingredients with a spatula or a spoon. Cover and let it rest in the cooler. This salsa like mix is also well known as ‘pico de gallo’
4. Cut a halibut loin lengthwise into half and cut the half loins across which will give you 4 equal pieces.
5. Dredge the halibut pieces into the blackening spice. Ensure all sides are evenly spice rubbed and shake off any additional blackening spice.
6. On a pan over medium heat, place the halibut pieces with little to no oil depending on the surface of the pan. Each side need to sear for 2-3 minutes This step can be done in a convection oven too if making a large batch at 400F for 4-6 minutes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mash the avocado with the back of a fork. until it reaches a spread like consistency.
8. Heat the tortilla shells on a griddle or a wide fry pan without any oil just for about a minute on each side.

To assemble the tacos, place the heated tortillas on a flat surface like a cutting board or a plate and spread the avocado paste on each. Top the avocado spread with shredded cabbage and place the halibut on the cabbage. Put a spoon full of Pico de Gallo salsa on the fish and garnish it with some cilantro sprigs. Serve with a lime wedge and side of hot sauce. My suggested hot sauce is Valentina red hot sauce.

Amazing thing about this dish is that we can make so many variations and there are so many ingredients you can substitute based on your preference or dietary restrictions. Based on availability, substitute Cod for Halibut or even shrimp. For someone who does not eat fish can also do the exact same taco with chicken.

Substitute corn tortilla for flour ones if someone is celiac or gluten intolerant. You know how there is a debate about pineapple on pizzas? You can add diced pineapple in your fish taco too!

To try more of Neo’s dishes, drop into Prime Social Kitchen inside the Radisson Hotel at 435 Gregoire Drive. Go to www.primesocialgroup.ca for the full restaurant menu and weekly specials. For updates and announcements, visit Prime Social Group’s Facebook pages for Prime Social Kitchen and Prime on Franklin.

About the author

Neo Arjani

Born and raised in Fort McMurray, Neo Arjani has been working in the culinary industry for seven years. Graduating with honours from NAIT in Edmonton in 2014, he said it was the best decision he ever made and has since progressed in the field. Today, he’s Head Chef at Prime Social Kitchen with a goal to keep learning as a culinary enthusiast.

When he’s not cooking delicious entrees or discovering new dishes, he enjoys cooking for his family and taking his dog, Ava out on winter walks. He also loves spending time with his niece, Charlotte. During his downtime, he watches horror movies and likes playing Warframe (which he laughs and says he’s terrible at). One thing on his bucket list is to go fishing and hunting in Newfoundland.