Frozen fish can be a lifesaver on a weeknight. Not only is the quality often better than the so-called fresh fish sitting behind the grocery seafood counter, but it’s also easy to store and quick to thaw. My favorite way to serve it? Ultra-fast fish tacos with a shortcut slaw.
Make the slaw before cooking the fish so it has a little time to marinate before serving. I like to use packaged coleslaw mix here as a quick-prep shortcut. All it needs is a little lime juice, vegetable oil, and salt to turn it into a bright and tangy topping for the fish.
You can use whatever white fish you’d like in the tacos. I prefer fast-cooking thin fillets (no more than 1/2-inch thick), but you can cook thicker fish; just increase the cooking time below by about 1 minute more per side. But before you place them into a skillet, pat the fish very, very dry — thawed frozen fish tends to be more damp than fresh — then season with salt and a little bit of ground cumin.
A couple of minutes in hot oil is all the fish needs to turn from raw to golden brown and flaky; then you’re ready to pile it into hot flour tortillas and top with that tangy slaw.
Note: Whether you’ve thought (a little) ahead and moved a few fillets from the freezer the night or morning before, or you’re needing to quickly get the fish from rock-hard to ready-to-cook in a bowl of cool water, remember a few safety tips. Vacuum-sealed frozen fish can harbor bacteria if thawed in its original packaging, so make sure to always move it to a new, clean bag (if quickly thawing in cool water) or a clean, lipped container (if thawing in the fridge). Make sure to cook the fish the same day you’ve thawed it, and never refreeze thawed fish. Finally, the microwave is not a great way to thaw frozen fish, as tempting as it may be.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
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