Halibut Tacos with Citrus Coleslaw
This is a fresh, easy meal that can be made in the oven or on the grill. The halibut is steamed with lemon, onions and herbs as it cooks, making it incredibly tender and flavorful. The coleslaw is very thinly sliced, fresh, citrusy and full of crunch. Not only is this meal delicious and simple, but it is also so festive and colorful.
TIP: The idea with this coleslaw is to slice everything as thinly as possible, almost paper thin. Use a mandoline to slice the cabbages, jicama, and red onion.
Special Equipment: a mandolin slicer
Halibut Tacos with Citrus Coleslaw
Recipe makes 4 to 6 servings. Total time 45 minutes, including cooling time. Active time 45 minutes.
Ingredients:
Halibut:- 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 pounds boneless halibut fillets (four ½-pound fillets)
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 4 lemons, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Coleslaw:
- 2 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1 cup peeled and very thinly sliced jicama
- 1 cup very thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Tacos:
- 12 small yellow corn tortillas
- Fresh cilantro, for sprinkling
- Fresh lemon juice, for sprinkling
- 10 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
Directions:
- To make the halibut: Preheat a grill to medium or preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Put a large double layer of foil down on a work surface. Arrange a quarter of the onion slices in the center of the foil, then lay the first fillet on top of the onions. Crush one large clove of garlic and spread over the top. Cover the fillet with 3 to 4 lemon rounds. Cut 1 tablespoon of butter into pieces and place them on top of the lemon. Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of paprika over the top, then ¼ teaspoon salt. Top with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Wrap the fillet in foil, making sure to seal it well to keep in steam. Repeat with the remaining fillets and ingredients, making 4 packets.
- Put the packets on the grill and cook for 25 minutes. If baking in the oven, place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. The fish should be opaque and fork-tender when finished. Remove the packets from the heat and let steam, sealed, for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the coleslaw: In a large bowl, combine the red cabbage, green cabbage, jicama, red onion, and cilantro and toss.
- To make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the oil, lime juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk together and set aside. Right before assembling the tacos, pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat.
- To serve the tacos: Heat the tortillas on a grill or stovetop. Open the packets of halibut and use a fork to break the fillets into bite-size pieces. Serve the halibut on the tortillas sprinkled with cilantro and lemon juice. Place a little bit of coleslaw on each taco and sprinkle with queso fresco.
Recipe first featured on Ranch To Table Season 3 Episode 10: "Dinner on the Rosa" on the Magnolia Network.
Enjoy!
Elizabeth
Photographs by BJ Golnick and Brian Skope