Fish with Fruit Salsa

Making some fish tacos tonight! We received some lovely Pacific Grenedier in our weekly delivery from SLO Veg. They have a co-op thing going with SLO Fresh Catch, so we also get a pound of fresh-caught ocean fish from local fishermen delivered with our vegies and fruits each week. Since we got more peaches and some nice green "Pitron" spicy peppers in the box, I decided to make this version of Pacific Grenadier with Fruit Salsa from the SLOfreshcatch.com website. I never heard of Pitron peppers before, however, I can tell you they are spicy! Glad I roasted them a bit first. We are gonna need that beer tonight!

I rounded out the dinner with corn tortilla chips, roasted broccoli and yellow squash, and black beans straight out of a can. The broccoli and squash was simply drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse sea salt, and roasted in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. I love roasting vegies, because it brings out a whole new flavor diminsion and makes them so scrumptious!

http://www.slofreshcatch.com/august-6-8-2013-pacific-grenadier-with-fruit-salsa-caught-by-captain-le/

I borrowed the recipe from SLO Fresh Catch and decided to make some tacos out of it. Tacos, chips  and beer...we ought to be able to eat a lot of fruit salsa that way. 

I burned the outer skin of the pepper right on my gas stove top. I turned the flame up high and kept turning the pepper with tongs. Blackened that puppy all the way around and then scrapped off as much of the burnt stuff as I could before chopping the pepper into small bits.

Here is Captain Le's recipe:

Blackened Grenadier with Fruit Salsa (serves four)
Blackening Rub ( or use your favorite one from the grocery store)

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or other                                                                           flavorless oil

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine a paste.
Fruit  Salsa:

• 1 mango, or peach or nectarine peeled, pitted and diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
• 1/8 cup diced red or green bell pepper
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• juice of 1 lime
• pinch of salt…or more to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro; chopped

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Can be made a few hours ahead. Taste just before serving and adjust seasoning as needed.
Blackened Grenadier:

• 1 lb. fresh fish, cut into 4 servings

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
To prepare the fish, start by wiping the flesh with a dry paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Rub the blackening paste on one side of the fish.
Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into a large saute pan and heat over medium-high heat. When pan is nice and hot, carefully place fish into preheated pan. Sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes each side. Remove fish from pan and place onto a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil. Place pan into preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cod is cooked through.
 Remove pan from oven and place fish on top of steamed rice or whatever you’re serving. Top fish with salsa, a lime wedge and extra cilantro.

Fish Taco with Fruit Salsa, black beans and roasted broccoli and yellow squash on the side.