Instant Gratification: Fish Tacos

Sometimes it gets tough live in Minnesota. We're impatient for spring's arrival. We want to eat season-appropriate food, but all we see around us these days looks barely-green and scrawny. Those chives we had on Sunday were the only edible thing I've seen around here in weeks... months!

So tonight we splurged and just went for it. Here's the account of our indulgence:

Fish Tacos with Salsa Verde
(recipes adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2008)

Salsa Verde

3 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed
1 small onion, halved
2 jalapeño chiles (hunt and peck for the red-orange ones)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill tomatillos, onion quarters, and chiles until dark brown spots form on all sides, about 9 minutes for onion, 6 minutes for tomatillos and chiles, and 4 minutes for garlic. Stem chiles and scrape out seeds for a milder salsa. Corsely chop onion, chiles, and garlic. Transfer tomatillos and all vegetables to blender. Add cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon sugar; puree until smooth. Season to taste with coarse salt.

Grilled Fish Tacos

2 cups chopped white onion, divided
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound tilapia, striped bass, or sturgeon fillets
Coarse kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
Corn tortillas
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/2 small head of cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
Salsa Verde
Lime wedges

Stir 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, orange juice, garlic, and oregano in medium bowl. Sprinkle fish with coarse salt and pepper. Spread half of onion mixture over bottom of 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange fish atop onion mixture. Spoon remaining onion mixture over fish. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Turn fish; cover and chill 30 minutes longer. Whisk mayonnaise, milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl.

Brush grill grate with oil; prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill fish with some marinade still clinging until just opaque in center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Grill tortillas until slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.

Coarsely chop fish; place on platter. Serve with lime mayonnaise, tortillas, remaining 1 cup chopped onion, remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, avocados, cabbage, Salsa Verde, and lime wedges.