Halibut Diablo with Ancho-Corn Tortillas

Since moving to the west coast, I have been trying to learn as much as I can about California cuisine. While I knew I’d be eating a lot of organic, local produce, I was already doing that in New York, and wasn’t quite clear on how my diet would be changing. The most obvious difference was the availability of vibrant local foods all year round. As Alejandro loved to point out when I dragged him to NY farmers’ markets in the winter, all you really find there are apples.

California is also known for their Mexican fare, which for the most part is superior to that in New York. I love Mexican food when it’s freshly made, but it’s hard to find quality food from south of the border that’s not chock full of artery-clogging lard and melted cheese. This is why I was thrilled when I came across the California Rancho Cookbook, which beautifully combines the flavors of Mexico and Spain with the freshness of California. You’ll find recipes that combine olives, figs and raisins in otherwise familiar plates like tamales and quesadillas. This recipe wasn’t in the book, but after reading it I was inspired to try a dish of my own in the same vein. If you have yet to get your hands a copy, I can’t recommend it enough. Author Jacqueline Higuera McMahan taught me techniques that I now apply to many of my Italian dishes as well.

Use the freshest fish you can find for this dish, and preferably a thick and meaty one. I would suggest the Halibut, but only if you live on the west coast – I never had Halibut in New York as tasty as it is here. Tilapia and other thin, flaky fish may fall apart in the stew, which isn’t necessarily bad, but I wanted chunky pieces of fish to bite into. Red snapper would work well, and maybe even arctic char. For the sauce, I blended tomatoes, lime, cumin, cilantro and onions and cooked it with thin slices of sweet red pepper and the just-caught pacific halibut. Serve it with homemade ancho-corn tortillas and top with a little avocado mashed with sea salt and olive oil. I would advise against adding any cheese to this – I think it would just distract from the pure taste of the fish and spices.

Ingredients for Halibut Diablo with Ancho-Corn Tortillas:

1 pound of fresh halibut or other firm fish
5 large organic tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (mostly leaves)
1/2 white onion cut into thin slces
1/2 white onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 limes
10 ancho-corn tortillas
Ground ancho chili pepper
Fresh cumin
Cayenne pepper (amount depends on how spicy you want it)
1 avocado, mashed with olive oil and sea salt for topping

First the tomatoes
Set a large pot of water to boil. With a sharp knife, lightly carve an X on the bottom of each tomato so it just breaks the skin. Boil the tomatoes for for about 30 seconds, or until you see the skin peeling. Remove them with a colander spoon or tongs. When they cool down a bit, peel off the skin, remove the seeds and roughly chop.

Next the sauce
Heat up a large sauce pan and twirl in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and jalapeno and cook for about 3 more minutes, stirring so the onion doesn’t brown. Next add the tomatoes, about 1/2 tablespoon of ground ancho pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, then stir in about half of the cilantro and th juice form one lime. Pour the sauce into a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Return the sauce to the pan, and set the heat to low. Add the red pepper and onion slices and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar – cover and cook for 15 minutes. If the sauce is very thick, add some water, one tablespoon at a time. You can also add a tad more vinegar if you like.

Last the fish
If your fish is filleted, cut them into 2 inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper, and add it to the sauce. Stir it around, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.

Serve with ancho-corn tortillas and slices of lime. You can eat it as a taco, but I prefer tearing the tortillas and using them to soak up the sauce, and then topping with some of the avocado.

Where I shopped:
Halibut: Ver Brugge in Rockridge
Tomatoes: Wilson Farms at the Old Oakland Farmers’ Market. Their early tomatoes are super sweet, and the farmer is more than happy to explain how he grows them. I really love all of their produce.
Red pepper, white onion, ancho chilies: Berkeley Bowl