When I think of San Diego, I think of one dish in particular – fish tacos! With the weather getting warmer and spring and summer approaching, here’s my take on the quintessential San Diego favorite.
This dish uses one of the main principles of Chinese medicine cooking by incorporating the five flavors and the five colors. In Chinese 5 element theory, the five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. They are associated with the flavors of sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty. They are also associated with the colors green, red, orange/yellow, white, and black, respectively. This is one of my favorite ways to cook – combining a variety of flavors, textures and colors into a fresh and flavorful yet balanced dish.
This meal also includes a combo of warm and cooked foods along with raw vegetables. I know I talk about it a lot, but I’ll say it again – warm and cooked foods are easier for your body to digest than cold and raw foods. Even though the weather is getting nicer, don’t jump head first into salads just yet. If you’re going to have raw vegetables, one way to still make it digestion friendly is to add them to cooked foods so they’re slightly warmed up.
The tacos are made extra special with the addition of one of my new favorite fruits – kumquats! They’re a small citrus fruit, but they pack a punch in their tart and sour flavor. In Chinese medicine, sour foods are associated with the Liver, and have the properties of constricting excess fluids, and helping to move the Qi of the Liver. Springtime is associated with the Wood element, so now is a good time to incorporate a modest amount of sour foods.
This dish also features Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce, one of my local Carlsbad favorites! It’s a vegan, almond based sauce that adds creamy and smoky heat flavor to a variety of dishes or just eaten as a dip. For North County locals, I’ve seen it at Costco, Whole Foods, and farmers markets.
This dish is a great combo of:
Hearty and savory fish
Crunchy and colorful cabbage and radishes
Sweet and sour kumquats
Spicy and creamy chipotle sauce
Come on, it’s tacos, what’s not to love?
Ingredients
Serves 2, 3 tacos each
1 lb. white fish (mahi mahi, halibut, or rockfish are great)
4 tablespoons olive oil (use half for fish, half for cabbage)
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red cabbage, thinly chopped
6 kumquats, sliced into thin rounds (about 3 cuts per fruit)
6 radishes, sliced into thin rounds
½ cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce or other cream sauce of choice (see substitutions)
6 medium sized corn tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Prep the fish by arranging it on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons cumin, and salt and pepper. When the oven is heated, add the sheet pan of fish, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through and fish flakes easily with a fork.
While the fish is cooking, prep the vegetables. In a small bowl, toss the chopped cabbage with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, then set aside. Slice the kumquats and radishes, cut the lime into wedges, and chop the cilantro. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.
When the taco ingredients are ready, start heating up the tortillas. Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add one corn tortilla and heat on one side for about 30 seconds, until it’s just starting to get soft and charred. Flip the tortilla and heat for about 15 seconds more, then remove from the heat. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
To assemble the taco, start with a warm tortilla on a plate. Add a spoonful (about ½ tablespoon) of chipotle cream sauce in a thin layer across the middle of the tortilla. Add a piece of fish, then pile on the cabbage, kumquat slices, radish slices, and cilantro. You want the taco to be filled up, but still able to fold the tortilla so you can eat it. Add a squeeze of lime, and serve immediately while it’s hot. These are great to eat by themselves, or round out the meal with a side of rice and beans.
Substitutions / Alterations
This dish can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by removing the fish and adding more vegetables or beans.
If you can’t find kumquats, you could use any kind of sour citrus fruit, or just squeeze a little extra lime over the tacos at the end.
Instead of Bitchin’ Sauce, you could mix sour cream or plain yogurt with a few dashes of hot sauce.
References
Wang, Y., Sheir, W., & Ono, M. (2010). Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.