Rockfish Tacos with Chimichurri

Rockfish is native to both the North Pacific and Atlantic, but is especially plentiful around the DC-VA area. I first had it when I was living in DC. It’s a firm, white fish quite similar to striped bass. If it’s caught in the Atlantic, it also means it’s sustainable! (Some Pacific varieties are too but you’ll have to look closer and ask some questions to be sure.) You can always substitute striped bass or halibut or something similar if you can’t locate rockfish.

I’ve included my recipe for chimichurri, a blend of herbs, below. However if you have a vegetable garden like me you may wish to vary it a bit depending on what you have on hand. Get creative and let us know in the comments how it turns out!

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 1 hr 30 min



Rockfish Tacos with Chimichurri

Ingredients:
2 c fresh cilantro
1 tbsp fresh Thyme
1 tbsp fresh Oregano
¾ tsp ground cumin
5 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 lb Rockfish
2 c Masa Harina
½ tsp black pepper
1 c sweet cherry tomatoes, halved

Put the cilantro, Thyme, oregano, cumin, and garlic in a food processor. Process until fully chopped, scraping off the sides as needed. Drizzle 3 tbsp of olive oil into the food processor and process again to combine.

Scrape out the chimichurri and use it to coat the rockfish evenly. Place on a plate, cover lightly, and put in the fridge for 1 hour.

In the meantime, turn to the tortillas. I made homemade ones since I enjoy making food from scratch and like to control the ingredients (read: no salt.) However, you can always buy some tortillas in a crunch – just make sure to check the sodium levels and buy corn ones to get some healthy whole grains!

Mix together 2 c masa harina and 1.5 c water. Stir until fully combined. Add more water, very slowly, as needed to get to a dough. Knead for 2-3 minutes until pliable and not sticky. Form into a ball and set aside for 30 minutes.

When the dough is ready you can continue. Take a couple tablespoons of dough (you’ll need to experiment to get exactly the right amount) and form into a ball. Place in the middle of a tortilla press covered with heavy duty wax paper sprayed with no-stick spray. Press down with the tortilla press to form about a 6” in diameter tortilla. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Put the tortilla in the pan and cook for 30 seconds on each side or until done. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Get your grill pre-heating. Sprinkle the rockfish with the black pepper and grill for about 4 minutes on each side. Then break or cut it into bite-sized chunks.

Fill your tortillas with rockfish and tomato and enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving size: 3-4 tacos
Nutrition: calories 504; carbs 52g; fat 21g; protein 28g; sodium 91mg; iron 11mg