At Spinnakers, dry-rubbed wild Pacific salmon, halibut and smoked tuna are served on Adriana’s chia tortillas with crunchy cabbage, chilies and a drizzle of citrusy sauce.
By Cinda Chavich
PHOTOGRAPH: JEFFREY BOSDET.
Chef Nigel Taylor’s recipe — inspired by frequent family trips to Mexico — makes the perfect shareable starter to serve with Spinnakers’ Cervesa Reposada, a slow beer aged in Mexican tequila barrels. You can use all three types of fish, as they do at Spinnakers, or use a pound of fresh halibut or salmon.
Ingredients
Spice mix:
• 1 tbsp each ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, sea salt, black pepper, mustard powder
Citrus Cream:
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup sour cream
Filling:
• 2 oz boneless halibut fillet, cubed
• 3 oz smoked tuna fillet, cubed
• 1/4 lb boneless salmon fillet, cubed
• 1 to 2 tbsp spice mix (above)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 1/2 cups finely sliced red cabbage
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced pickled jalapeno peppers
• cilantro leaves to garnish
Method
Combine the spice mixture and set aside (you can save any extra for seasoning any fish dish).
Whisk the lime juice into the sour cream to combine, then refrigerate (you can transfer to a squeeze bottle, if desired).
In a sauté pan, shallow-fry the tortillas in olive oil over medium-high heat, turning once, until crisp. Keep warm in a 200°F oven while you fry the remaining tortillas, adding more oil as necessary.
Add a few additional tablespoons of oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and sauté the fish until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes, then sprinkle with seasoning and toss to complete cooking the fish and toast the spices.
To serve, place three tortillas on each serving dish. Top each with sliced cabbage and some of the sautéed fish. Garnish each tostada with some sliced jalapeno and red onion, then drizzle with citrus cream and sprinkle with cilantro.
Makes 12 tostadas and serves four.
This article is from the May/June 2018 issue of YAM.