Rockfish tacos
Mild local rockfish seared hard and flaked into warm tortillas with peppery arugula, cold lime yogurt, and pomegranate that bursts like salsa.
About 700 kcal and 60 g protein a serving
You'll need
- 1 lb rockfish fillets
- 12 corn tortillas — two per taco
- ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1 lime
- Seeds of ½ pomegranate
- 2 handfuls of arugula
- 1 tbsp olive oil, and salt
Make it
Tap a step when it's done.
- 10 minSalt the fish and leave it on a plate. Pat it completely dry right before it goes in the pan.
- Stir the zest of the lime, half its juice, and a pinch of salt into the yogurt.
- TortillasWarm the tortillas in a dry pan until they blister in spots. Stack them under a towel.
- 3–4 minHeat a nonstick or well-seasoned carbon-steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high with a thin film of oil until it shimmers — rockfish is delicate and sticks to anything else. Lay the fish in, away from you, and don't touch it until it lets go of the pan on its own.
- 1–2 minFlip and cook until it's opaque all the way through and flakes easily, then flake it in the pan with a fork.
- FinishThree tacos tonight, two tortillas each: fish, arugula, a spoonful of lime yogurt, pomegranate on top, lime squeezed over.
Leftovers
Sear all the fish and keep half, flaked, for the second night. Cold rockfish in freshly warmed tortillas is just as good, and there's no reheating smell.
How it works
A mild fish tastes of very little on its own, so everything around it is sharp, cold, or peppery: lime, yogurt, pomegranate, arugula. The sear is the technique — dry fish, hot pan, hands off — and it works on any firm fillet.
Make it your own
- Any firm white fish — cod or halibut — works the same way.
- For heat, warm olive oil with garlic and chile flakes and spoon it over instead of the yogurt.
- Smear ajvar on the tortillas first for smoke.
Checked against
- Fish Tacos on the Grill — Food52 — 2–4 minutes a side for thin white fillets, in a pan if you have no grill
- Butter-Basted Fish Fillets — America's Test Kitchen — dry fillets, a nonstick or carbon-steel pan, hands off until the first flip
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA — fish is done at 145°F, or when it's opaque and flakes with a fork
Nutrition estimate, per serving
| Calories | 650–700 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 55–60 g |
| Carbohydrates | 75–80 g |
| Fat | 10–15 g |
| Fiber | 10 g |
A serving: Half the recipe: three tacos (six tortillas), half the fish, ¼ cup yogurt.
Not included: Nothing — the recipe is the whole meal.
Estimated from standard nutrition data for each ingredient in the amounts above, then rounded. Fish, brands, and portions vary, so read these as a guide, not a measurement.