Pink fish tacos combine flaky marinated fish with bright, vinegary pickled onions and creamy feta or purple cabbage slaw, and crunchy, sweet salad topper.
Many of us feel that in order to celebrate love, we have to shell a lot of dough, go out somewhere special, or make a grand gesture. But we don't. A good date night can be as easy as making pink fish tacos, making a pitcher of negronis, and partying like you're in the best restaurant in town. And I've got the story to prove it.
It was a Friday night, and I was buoyed by the sense of freedom of the weekend ahead. It was a Friday night, and I thought it would be a good opportunity for a date night. It was a Friday night, and as I often do on Friday nights, I was feeling invincible.
So G and I got dressed to the nines, picked a relatively highly rated but obscure restaurant, and decided to go out for tacos. Little did we know that the price we were to pay for our hubris would be a steep one.
The restaurant we went to immediately captured us with its casual, hip vibe. With just a few tables, unobtrusive electronic music, and the light of dozens of flickering candles, we felt right at home at an excellent dinner party.
The short menu also inspired us to just dig in and order, without wasting too much time thinking. And as it was a date night, we even went for cocktails.
Our negronis were exquisite. His, with a smoky aftertaste, and mine, sharp and citrusy and just the right side of bitter. The tacos were event better - my simple bean tacos had a strong earthy flavour, and G enjoyed his shredded pork.
But the real winner were the pink fish tacos: soft and flavourful, they were filled with crunchy cabbage, a perky salsa, and bright, vinegary pickled onions. The dabs of cream and salsa on top really brought the dish together. As we argued over who would get to eat the last one, I realized this dish was a winner.
As the drinks flowed, so did the conversation. Soon we were dancing in our seats, our eyes alight with the renewed sense of interest and passion for each other. The atmosphere was electrifying.
We forgot how simple and exhilarating just looking at each other can be - and with the right balance of alcohol, locking eyes becomes so much easier.
We continued to drink. We ordered a margarita, and two more negronis. And then another one. By the end of the night, we had eaten six tacos, and drank six drinks. We felt giddy with excitement.
And then came the bill. As our heads were clouded, we paid the bill with silent resignation, not letting it put a damper on the night. But as we stepped outside into the cold Montreal air, immediately sobered up by the precipitous drop in temperature, we realized that a total bill of $100 was a bit much to pay for a casual night out (the menu for which included six tacos).
But friends, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to spend that much money to have the same glorious date night. I spent the next few weeks testing recipes, dedicating myself to replicating the sharp, perky taste of those pink fish tacos. And now I am here to deliver the results.
These pink fish tacos are truly a revelation. I changed mine up a bit, topping them with both the restaurant's sliced purple cabbage and radish toppings, as well as the simpler, pickled onion and feta combination displayed here.
I have to say I preferred the second version; It allowed the fish to shine in its smoky, Spanish-inspired flavours, which were perfectly complimented by the zest of the pickled onion and the saltiness of the feta. But you're welcome to try both and let me known which you preferred.
Another note: the restaurant we went to deep-fried its fish, which were coated in a lovely crispy batter. But after my last hand disaster, I am steering clear of dealing with large amounts of really hot oil. And I have to say that the result actually feels a bit more virtuous and delicious than the original!
So pour yourself a large pitcher of negronis (or if you're splurging, sub the gin for real mescal for smoky negronis that will blow your mind). Marinade your fish and red onions. Grill some soft corn tortillas.
Bring out the toppings: a creamy slaw of cabbage and carrots, or some good briny feta. Tear open a bag of NaturSource original salad topper, for the crunch and unexpected burst of sweetness. Open a jar of your favourite salsa, and go to town.
Drink as much as you want, look into each other's eyes, and laugh as taco juice comes dribbling down your face. Fall in love all over again.
And at the end of the day, when all you have to pay for a great date night is the cost of a bottle of mescal and some white fish, post your creation and tag it #immigrantstable. That'll be all the thanks I need.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Pink fish tacos with pickled onions, feta and salad topper
Ingredients
- ½ lb cod fish tilapia or sole
- 3 tablespoon lemon and lime juice
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Cayenne powder to taste
- salt and pepper
- 1 red onion sliced into rings
- ½ cup white wine vinegar or mixture of white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar you can also use only apple cider vinegar, but the resulting onions are fairly sweet
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
TOPPING COMBO 1:
- ½ cup feta crumbled or cubed
- 2 tablespoon Salsa of your choice
- ¼ cup NaturSource original salad topper or a mix of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries
TOPPING COMBO 2:
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup NaturSource original salad topper or a mix of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries
- 6 Corn taco tortillas or Boston lettuce leaves
- Fresh cilantro for topping
- Fresh chives for topping
Instructions
- Wash fish and pat dry. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, chilli/paprika and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place fish in mixture, pouring some marinade on the fish with a tablespoon to ensure as much of the fish is covered as possible. Cover with plastic wrap, and let marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- In a small bowl, mix vinegar, sugar and salt until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onions in a jar or a bowl, and pour vinegar mixture on top. Cover and let marinade for at least an hour.
- If making Topping Combo 2, mix all of the ingredients except salad topper together and let marinade while the onions are pickling and the fish is marinading.
- When ready to eat, preheat a heavy bottomed pan to medium heat. Fry tortillas on both sides until warm, and set aside, covered.
- Add 2 TBs Grapeseed oil to pan and fry fish for 5 minutes on one side, and, lowering heat to medium, 3 minutes on the other. Remove to a plate and flake with a fork.
- When ready to assemble, set out Topping Combo 2 and all the ingredients for Topping Combo 1.
- To assemble tacos in Combo 1, layer flaked fish, pickled onions and feta, salsa, salad topper and fresh cilantro.
- To assemble tacos in Combo 2, layer flaked fish, purple cabbage and carrot slaw, salad topper and fresh cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Kellie MacMillan says
OMG! I love this post. It is so true you don't have to spend a lot of money to keep the romance alive. That being said I can totally picture you two out on the town.
We don't eat fish but I'm inspired by your story, we were going to have some friends over for drinks on Friday night but they cancelled. Dave said he was going to get spruced up and wear a fancy shirt (why he'd do this for company hurts me ha,ha). We will go ahead and do this. I'm giddy too, I've never had a negroni before.
Oh, and I have this lovely black and white polka dot vintage dress, wait until I tag you.
Thanks for the inspiration!
kseniaprints says
So??? How did it go? Did you wow Dave with your dress? And what did you think of the negronis? I want updates!! 😀
veenaazmanov says
Your description is so delicious and combination super yum. Perfect for any meal. I love it all.
kseniaprints says
Thank you Veena!!
Allyssa says
so delicious and easy to make! Thank you for this recipe it's really helpful. Will make it again!
kseniaprints says
It's such an easy recipe that we make it on repeat for many Tuesday Taco nights!
Heidy says
These pink fish tacos with pickled onions, feta, and the salad topper were excellent today at lunch. I loved all the flavors and textures. Saving to make again!
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I love tacos. I love fish. So, I made your recipe it and I simply adore it! Will make it again, and again! Thanks for sharing!
Cathleen says
Fish tacos may be one of my favourite things to order at a restaurant, but for some reason I have never made it myself. I have got to try this!!
amycaseycooks says
The name of the recipe was so intriguing ~ I just had to give this one a try! We loved it! Especially the toppings! A keeper!
Ramona says
I was interested in the name of this recipe, it is very intriguing! but overall this recipe looks delicious and I will definitely give it a go!
Jen says
My Mum is pescatarian so I made these tacos for her on Mother’s day. She absolutely loved them and asked me for the recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Leslie says
This recipe is just a match made in heaven! Fish tacos are the best way to enjoy a healthy meal! LOVE!!!
silvia says
Who can resist fish tacos? Not me. The feta was a surprise to me. I had never added it to my tacos, loved it. A new favorite.
Tania says
Amazing! I never cooked fish tacos before, I followed your step by step directions and it came out just perfect.
Will definitely keep this recipe.
Thank you!