Baja Seafood Tacos

This recipe comes from Mary Nell Reck, a local chef and restaurant owner who, sadly, is no longer with us. She also wrote a weekly cooking lesson for The Houston Post, which also no longer exists! This was from that paper on October 4, 1989.The prep work may seem a little lengthy, but it all goes together quickly once you start!

Cambodian Sweet and Sour Fish

My entire family loves this dish. I grill thick salmon steaks in a grill pan, but it can be cooked on a barbecue, or sauteed in a cast iron skillet. I have made this with whole tilapias and with halibut. I have seasoned the fish with Old Bay and once with a fish rub instead of the salt and pepper. You can actually use just about any kind of fish you like, as long as it will hold its shape after cooking. Once, I only had 2 shallots on hand, so I used 1 small red onion along with the 2 shallots. I have used 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely, when out of Thai chilies. When out of fresh ginger, I have used 1 1/2 Tbsp of jarred, pickled ginger, chopped. No tomatoes? leave them out. You can use apple cider vinegar instead of rice wine vinegar. As you can see, this dish is very forgiving. I cook the topping in a separate skillet alongside and it is ready right as the fish is. This meal cooks up in 10 minutes, looks and tastes great.

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