48. Smoked Swordfish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Cholula Aioli

Here I go using the stovetop smoker again!  I can't help it, though . . . it's such an easy way to add delicious flavor to just about anything.  If you don't have one, get one!  It'll be the best fifty dollars you've ever spent.

Well, maybe not.  But it's a good purchase!

If you don't have one, you can pick one up by following this link to Amazon - check it out:



It's very easy to use - it only took me once or twice to get the hang of it.  It's a great product!  We use ours at least a few times a month!  :)

As I approach the halfway point of my project, I have to admit that it's not as easy as I thought it would be.  Interestingly, it's not as difficult as I thought it would be, either.  I know that doesn't make much sense.  I'll try to explain:

I've always been a cookbook junkie.  I love finding amazing recipes in a cookbook and then bringing them to life.  I don't know why I was so rigid about following them so precisely for so long, though.  I never knew that it could actually be easy to come up with something new.  I love creating recipes now!

It is hard to stick to a certain type of food without getting sick of it, however.  Tacos.  Wow.  Don't get me wrong - we like them.  Sometimes I have an idea for something different, though, and I put it on the back burner because I have to make tacos.  I'm looking forward to the day when I won't have this self-imposed limitation and I can just create WHATEVER!  :)

Anyway . . . the swordfish tacos!  They were delicious - flavorful and not too heavy!  We loved the Cholula kick, too.

Here's the recipe!  :)

Smoked Swordfish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Cholula Aioli

Serves 2-3 (about 8 -10 small tacos)

Ingredients:

For the swordfish:

Two swordfish pieces (mine were about .88 lb.)
1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp. Cholula
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

For the mango salsa:

1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced

8 yellow grape tomatoes, cut into eighths
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 Fresno chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 medium clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Cholula aioli:

½ cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
1 tbsp. Cholula
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp. lime zest

1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

About 2 cups coleslaw mix (or shredded cabbage)

8 to 10 small (street-taco size) corn tortillas

1.  Prepare the swordfish:  Stir together together garlic, olive oil, lime juice, Cholula, salt, and pepper in a shallow medium bowl.  Add the fish and gently toss.  Allow to marinate, turning once, for about 30 minutes while you make the salsa and aioli.

2.  Make the salsa:  Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Cover and set aside.

3.  Make the aioli:  Stir all of the aioli ingredients together in a small bowl until well-combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Set aside.

4.  Smoke the swordfish:  Remove the swordfish pieces from the marinade and place them in a stovetop smoker.  

Smoke on medium-low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes (start timing when you can see wisps of smoke) or until just done.  Alternately, you can grill the fish or cook it in a pan on the stovetop.  You can even add a few drops of Liquid Smoke if you want the smoky flavor!  Allow to cool slightly and then cut or pull the fish into small pieces.

5.  While the fish is smoking, prepare the tortillas:  Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, one by one, until browned but still soft, about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.  

As the tortillas are done, stack them on a sheet of foil.  When they are all finished, wrap them in the foil.  If you wish, you can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven.

6.  Assemble the tacos:  For each taco, place a tortilla on a plate.  Place a few pieces of the fish down the center of each tortilla.  Top with some of the cabbage.  Drizzle with the aioli and then finish with a generous spoonful of the salsa.  Garnish with a squeeze of lime and enjoy!

There's not much to say about these.  We really loved them.  They were fairly easy and didn't take a great deal of time from start to finish, unlike some of my other recipes!  :)

My husband actually said that they were the best thing he has ever eaten.  I doubt that, but they were pretty fantastic - a great smoky/tangy/spicy/sweet combination!

This is a great two-person recipe.  There was a bit of salsa and aioli left, but not much fish.  You could probably stretch this to serve three, but it was kind of nice to not have a bunch of leftovers to deal with!

Seriously, though.  The smoker.  Get one!

Feel free to comment on this recipe!  Did you try them?  What did you think?

Thanks for reading!