Tropical Fish Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Pat the fish dry and place on a plate or rimmed baking pan. You may want to cut the fish into manageable pieces or you can leave the fillets whole. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, then drizzle 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk and the juice from half of a lime over the fish. Turn fish a couple of times to make sure they’re coated with the liquid mixture. Let the fish sit for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the salsa.

Combine the pineapple salsa ingredients in a medium bowl and squirt the juice from half a lime over the top. Stir to combine and set aside.

Place the Mexican crema or sour cream in a small bowl and add the other 3 tablespoons of coconut milk, a squirt of lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the tacos.

When you’re ready to cook the fish, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat.

Place the unsweetened coconut in a shallow dish—make sure to use one that’s large enough to fit the fillets into. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to the coconut. Toss to combine the mixture. Lift each piece of fish, letting the excess coconut milk drain off, and coat the fish in the dry coconut. Place the coated fillets in the hot pan.

To ensure that you don’t loose all of the coating, make sure your pan is sufficiently hot. The fish should sizzle like crazy when you add it to the pan. Let the fish cook for a few minutes per side, flipping once. Let it form a good crust before you flip it. Don’t move the fish around or fiddle with it too much. When it forms a golden brown crust, it should come off the pan easily with most of the coating. You will lose a bit of the coating in the pan, just spoon out what you can between batches, adding more oil if necessary.

I recommend putting a lid on the pan while it’s cooking if the fillets are thick. That way the coconut doesn’t burn before the fish cooks through. The fish should start to separate into layers and flake easily with a fork when done.

Assemble tacos by putting a couple forkfuls of fish into the center of a tortilla and topping it with some pineapple salsa and a drizzle of coconut sour cream. Cut remaining limes into wedges and serve with tacos.