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I recently saw a recipe in The New York Times for Chicken Liver Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa. The chicken liver component made me cringe a bit, but my interest was certainly piqued by the rhubarb salsa! Tart, fresh rhubarb is mixed with spring onion, spicy jalapeño, cider vinegar and smoky chipotle powder. I paired this adventurous salsa with strips of cornmeal crusted white fish and creamy, caramelized onions. The finished taco was definitely like nothing I have ever tasted before. An enjoyable array of bold, bright flavors and varying textures that is sure to arouse your taste buds. Continue reading for the recipe.
Cornmeal Crusted Fish Tacos with Rhubarb Salsa
Adapted from The New York Times.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the salsa:
- 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in a 1/4-inch dice (about 2 medium stalks)
- 1/3 cup finely minced spring onion or scallions
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup pickled cocktail onions, halved
- 2 teaspoons honey, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided (1 tablespoon for the salsa, 2 tablespoons for the onions below)
- Kosher salt
- Chipotle powder or cayenne
For the fish tacos:
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided (4 tablespoons for the fish, 1 tablespoon for the onions)
- 1 pound white fish (cod, tilapia, halibut), cut in 2-inch to 3-inch strips (no need to be precise here)
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 8 soft corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
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Fill 2/3 of a large bowl with cold water and add a couple handfuls of ice (this is an ice bath). Set aside.
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Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add rhubarb and cook for 20 seconds. Scoop the rhubarb out of the water with a slotted spoon directly into the ice bath. Chill for a minute, then drain and transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Dry by blotting with additional paper towels (the rhubarb doesn't need to be completely dry, just not dripping wet). Once dry, transfer rhubarb to a medium bowl and fold in spring onion, jalapeño and cocktail onions. In a small bowl, mix honey into 1 tablespoon of vinegar then stir into salsa. Season with kosher salt and chipotle powder to taste. If you find your salsa is a bit too tart, you can add more honey.
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Preheat oven to 200°F.
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Place cornmeal in a shallow bowl and season with a healthy amount of kosher salt and a sprinkling of chipotle powder, stirring to combine. Roll strips of fish in the seasoned cornmeal. Coat the entire surface of the fish with cornmeal, shake off the excess, then transfer to a plate (I used a baking sheet).
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Warm 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté fish until lightly browned and cooked through (about 1 to 2 minutes each side). Do this in several batches to avoid crowding the pan. Once you complete a batch, transfer for a heatproof dish, cover and keep warm in the oven while the other batches are cooking.
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Once you have cooked all of the fish, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, stir to deglaze the pan and remove from heat.
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Wrap the tortillas in a lightly dampened paper towel and warm in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds. Stir 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro into the rhubarb salsa.
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To assemble, lay 1 to 2 strips of fish across the center of the tortilla. Top with caramelized onions and a spoonful of rhubarb salsa. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.
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Averie says
Brandon…the food looks wonderful and great recipe.
LOVE the wood plank the tacos are on. If that’s a local find, I want to know where you scored it!
Anonymous says
Hey Averie! I got that wooden cutting board at… Macy’s!!! It is part of the Martha Stewart collection. Each cutting board has a unique design. I actually purchased two! Thanks 🙂
Kelsey, from Happyolks says
These look light and delicious! I just found your blog on the San Diego Food Bloggers FB, I can’t believe there are so many of us! It’s great to come across your site, the photos and recipes are lovely. I second Averie, the cutting boards are gorgeous!
Anonymous says
Thanks Kelsey!! There seem to be a lot of San Diego food bloggers. I would love to plan a get together sometime. Keep in touch!
Kasey says
Love the concept of rhubarb salsa! I feel like rhubarb is a really humble yet special ingredient. I love seeing it in so many recipes–both sweet and savory – lately.
Anonymous says
Rhubarb is one of those special seasonal ingredients that I like to enjoy once or twice a year. Normally I’ll make a crumble or pie or compote; however, this year I decided to get all crazy with this salsa.
Delightful Bitefuls says
LOVE the colors and flavor combos here!!!! GORGE!
Great blog; happy I found you!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Anonymous says
Thank you for the kind words! Welcome to the Kitchen Konfidence family 🙂
Cooking Rookie says
Beutiful presentation! And I have never used rhubarb in a savory dish – I am very curious to try. Thanks so much for the brilliant recipe!
Anonymous says
Thanks 🙂 I enjoy using ingredients in unexpected ways. Shake things up!
Gwen says
So beautiful. You’re right, the rhubarb would go perfectly in a fish taco, I love it! Putting this on my grocery list right now.
Anonymous says
Enjoy! Please share results…
Kitchen says
So delicious when we enjoyed rhubarb with fish taco. I have enjoyed once at my colleague’s home. Now i can’t wait to enjoy it. Hope that i find it nearest to any hotels.
EatingSeafood says
Loving the colors and ingredients in this recipe and so did our fans on our Eating Seafood Facebook page. If you like eating seafood and have other great seafood dishes, check out our page and share recipes, blog posts and pics with the fans! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eating-seafood/134417440976?sk=info
Gina says
So fresh and exotic! I love this dish! Is perfect for the spring and also makes me think at the summer.. 🙂 Lovely!
Kay says
I live in Alaska and rhubarb grows everywhere here! I’ve been looking for a savory way to use rhubarb and this salsa was a winner. Going to make it again in bulk and stock up for the colder seasons. I didn’t have cocktail pickled onions so I swapped with homemade pickled red onions and I think it worked well. Thank you!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks for sharing your experience Kay! I’m definitely going to try this next time with pickled red onions (love them!).