Yucatecan Grilled Fish Tacos (Avocado Sauce)

By jeknudson

Ingredients

• Tacos:
• 2 tablespoons achiote seeds
• 2 teaspoons whole allspice, preferably freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 About 1 generous teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime or sour orange juice
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless fish fillets (such as sea bass, snapper, grouper, halibut or mahi-mahi), cut into 4 pieces
• 1 banana leaf (you'll need a piece at least 2 feet long and 10 to 12 inches wide), plus extra for garnish if you wish; defrost if frozen
• 12 to 16 corn tortillas (plus a few extra, in case some break)
• Avocado Sauce (optional):
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons milk, plus more to thin sauce if necessary
• Juice of half a lime
• 4 cilantro sprigs, stemmed and chopped
• Salt
• To make the Avocado Sauce, pulse the avocado, sour cream, milk and lime juice in a food processor until creamy. Add more milk if needed, until sauce is the consistency of whipping cream. Add the cilan

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare the fish, pulverize the achiote in a spice grinder, then transfer it to a small bowl and mix in the allspice, black pepper, oregano and vinegar (you'll have a crumbly, very thick mixture at this point). Roughly chop the garlic, sprinkle with the salt, then work the two into a smooth paste on your cutting board with a spoon or the flat side of a knife. Scoop the achiote mixture onto the garlic, work the two together, then dribble on and work in enough water (1 or 2 tablespoons) to give the mixture the consistency of a thick, spreadable paste.

Combine the lime juice with 3 tablespoons of the achiote seasoning in a shallow dish; cover and refrigerate any extra to season rice or to marinate chicken or pork another day. Lay the fish fillets in the shallow dish and turn to coat well with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

To make the tacos, light a gas grill or prepare a charcoal fire, letting the coals burn until they are covered with a gray ash and medium-hot. Position the grill grate about 8 inches above the coals and oil it lightly.

While the grill is heating, tear the banana leaf into 8 ( 1/2 -inch) strips (tear with the grain; each strip will be about 12 inches long). Cut the remaining leaf into 4 sections about twice as wide as the fillets.

Lay out 1 section of leaf, center a fillet on it, spoon on a little of the marinade, then fold the leaf over to enclose the fillet and fold both ends up. Tie the banana-leaf packet in each direction with banana leaf strips, sealing it. Wrap the other fillets in the same manner.

Set up a steamer (a vegetable steamer in a large saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of water works well); heat water to a boil. Wrap the tortillas in a heavy kitchen towel, lay in the steamer and cover. Steam 1 minute, turn off the heat and let stand without opening for 15 minutes.

Lay the fish packets on the medium-hot grill. Cover the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, or a little longer for large fillets. Open 1 package to check the fish for doneness.

To serve, remove the fish from the packets, slice into 1/2 -inch strips and serve on a warm platter (be sure to drizzle on all the juices from the packets), with salsa and warm tortillas passed separately. Or carefully open the packets, fold the leaves back and under, creating a little nest for the fish, and serve each guest a packet. Guests can flake off chunks of fish to dollop with salsa and wrap in warm tortillas.

Note: Achiote seasoning paste can be a week in advance. The fish can marinate as long as 3 hours before grilling, but no longer. Commercial achiote paste can replace homemade, and the banana leaves may be omitted (make sure your grill grates are well-oiled to ensure that the fish won't stick).
Makes 12 to 16 tacos.