A Trip to Mexico – Grilled Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Crema

Many years ago, before children, my wife Marci and I took a trip to Mexico. Our trip was not a resort vacation, sitting on the beach in Cancún. Rather, we were there to see the country and eat the food, knowing we would only be able to visit a tiny sliver of all that is available. The hub of our travels was Mexico City, where we spent a few days visiting museums and marveling at its size and complexity.

On one day we took a bus to Teotihuacan, an ancient site with Mesoamerican ruins about 25 miles outside of Mexico City. We wandered around the remains and climbed the pyramids. It was spectacular. Being a hot, sunny day, before we returned to our base, we sat for a refreshing beverage. Marci had both ice-cold bottled water and a beer. When we were ready to depart, we got on the bus, unaware it was not an express. It was then that Marci realized she had to pee. As the bus made every local stop, Marci’s dilemma grew more serious, and as time went on, she began to panic. Maybe two beverages were a mistake. When we finally got to the bus terminal – not our final destination – we couldn’t find a bathroom. She was frantic. She considered squatting between two buses in the parking lot but couldn’t bring herself to do it and we hesitantly got on the subway. Finally, fearing her bladder would burst, she couldn’t take it anymore. She demanded we get off at the next stop to find a bathroom, no matter the neighborhood. Running upstairs, she found a small family restaurant and made a beeline for the bathroom. Relief at last. For our entire relationship since, a Mexico City Pee became the standard upon which we gauge how seriously we need to go.

Our friends from graduate school, Anne and Arnoldo, joined us for the leg of our trip in the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca. Arnoldo was born in Mexico City, and Anne has traveled extensively throughout the country, so we knew they would be excellent companions. And, they are serious about food. In Oaxaca we walked through the city’s markets, visited ruins and villages outside of town, perused museums, saw traditional dances, bought pottery, clothing, a leather bag, exotically painted wooden animals, and mezcal, and relaxed on the zócalo, the beautiful town square. And of course, we ate.

Oaxaca is known for its food, especially its moles, traditional Mexican sauces consisting of a wide variety of ingredients ranging from chilis, fruits, and nuts to all manner of spices and in some cases chocolate. They often have dozens of complex ingredients and take hours, if not days, to prepare. And there are a vast number of types of moles, with regional differences throughout the country, varying widely in color and ingredients. Oaxaca itself is known for seven very different variations. Of course, we ordered mole in restaurants topping chicken or turkey and stuffed inside tamales, but the sauces really stood out in the markets, where there were large containers of them ready to be purchased in small quantities for home use. Green, yellow, red, brown, to the darkest shade of black. Marci fell in love with mole oaxaqueño, a mole negro or black mole that was everywhere.

Arnoldo was thrilled to be in Oaxaca and ate with abandon, showing me all his favorites. And I was thrilled to join him despite warnings from Anne. Marci specifically asked how we should proceed with food, and we were told to only drink bottled water and to avoid, ice, salsas, and raw vegetables that may have been washed in local water. I thought I was following directions. We started the day (and every day) with very satisfying chocolate con leche, thick and lightly sweetened hot chocolate with milk and hints of cinnamon. We ate breakfast in one market, bowls of flavorful stewed meat in a bright red sauce, and sampled fried crickets, a local delicacy in the next. Women had baskets piled high with them, and we bought a handful, tasting them rolled into fresh-made tortillas. I was not a fan. We bought a quesadilla, of sorts, from a street vendor, cooked in a repurposed 55-gallon drum. As part of dinner I ate garlic soup, a raw egg floating in the broth. Except for the crickets and that raw egg, it was all delicious.

But that night it was I who needed the bathroom, and it wasn’t because I had to pee. I wasn’t feeling so well, my stomach in distress. While Marci slept, I paced the hall of our hotel, following its circular track looking down from our floor into the lobby in the center below. Around and around I went, passing each room’s door dozens of times, waiting for daylight. We were out of bottled water, the stores were still closed, and I dared not drink the tempting bottle in our room left by the hotel proprietors with its cap crusted over with rust. Finally at daybreak I left Marci sleeping to find aqua mineral to rehydrate myself. I loved the food in Oaxaca and was so happy to have sampled so many flavors with Arnoldo, but I could not eat for several days after our visit as we continued our journey. I found the bus trip to our next location, the mountainous city of Taxco known for its silver, uncomfortable, to say the least.

Eventually I recovered and continued our journey, being more careful of what I consumed. It was a wonderful trip, despite my few days of discomfort. Anne and Arnoldo still travel all over the world, and we still join them from time to time. This year we are lucky enough to take a trip with them to Banff, in Alberta, Canada in late summer. I seriously doubt the food in Canada will be as exciting as that in Oaxaca, but I’m hoping it is more gentle on my stomach.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Crema

It’s unlikely that you would find these fish tacos on the menu in a traditional Oaxacan restaurant, it being a city in the mountains far from the coast. But in addition to Oaxaca, Marci visited our friends Anne and Arnoldo when they lived in Baja, Mexico where she definitely ate fish tacos.

Most fish tacos are fried, but I wanted a recipe on the healthier side, so I grill the fish. They are just as tasty. However, you must be careful when grilling to make sure to clean and oil the grill grates prior to cooking, and be patient, lest your fish stick.

In this recipe I use mahi mahi fillets since they are mild tasting, fairly thick in cut, and meaty. But another mild white fish – or even shrimp – would work as well.

45 minutes, serves 4

For the fish:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ancho chili powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper or more to taste

4-6 oz. mahi mahi fillets

vegetable oil for grill

For the red cabbage slaw:

3 cups shredded red cabbage

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

juice of 1 lime

For the avocado crema:

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

juice of ½ lime

½ tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. sour cream

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt

½ an avocado

½ clove garlic, crushed or grated

¼ cup half & half or milk, or more if needed

For the tacos:

8 corn tortillas

chopped cilantro

avocado slices (optional)

1 lime, cut into wedges

radishes (optional)

To make the fish:

1. Heat grill, whether charcoal or gas, for high heat cooking.
2. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, ancho chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl large enough to hold all the fish fillets. Add the fish and coat with the seasonings. Set aside until ready to grill. Make other taco components.
3. When ready to grill, use tongs to rub a balled-up paper towel dipped in vegetable oil on the grill grates. This will remove any residue and help reduce sticking.
4. Grill fish until it has released from the grates – about 5 minutes depending on thickness of fillets. Flip carefully and grill on other side until cooked all the way through, an additional few minutes.

For the red cabbage slaw:

1. While the grill is heating and fish marinating, make the slaw.
2. Slice, wash, and drain cabbage. Mix together with salt, pepper, and lime juice in a large bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.

For the avocado crema:

1. While the grill is heating and fish marinating, make the avocado crema.
2. Add all ingredients except half & half or milk to a blender. Blend to a puree.
3. Add half & half or milk and continue to blend to thin crema to desired consistency. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To assemble tacos:

1. Heat tortillas on a grill, in a hot skillet, or over an open flame on a gas stove for 15 to 20 seconds per side. Immediately wrap in a clean dish towel to steam until ready to eat.
2. Add pieces of fish to each tortilla, breaking into smaller pieces if needed. Top with red cabbage slaw and avocado crema, as well as other toppings such as cilantro, avocado slices, and lime juice, as desired, with radishes on the side. Eat immediately.

Please like and share this post: