As much as I pine for the weather, the diversity, and the dramatic landscapes of my native California, what I miss most is the food. It’s not just that you can get every kind of food imaginable–from Vietnamese to Mexican, from shucking your own oysters seaside to deep-fried soft-shell crab at a dive in the Mission. It’s that everything you eat is so damn good. Any meal can be a delight, and in the Bay Area, it’s quite easy to make sure every meal is.

But of course, like any East Coast-bound Californian, my biggest craving is for tasty, fairly-priced tacos. Tacos at our favorite joint in Oakland are outstanding and set you back a mere two dollars each– half the going rate for tacos in the southern college town I now live in. My wallet (and, clearly, my sense of righteous indignation) rebels at the idea that three tacos should cost as much as twelve dollars.

And so, I make my own. I could never replicate our Oakland truck–they’ve got some black magic going over there. But these tide me over quite well, thank you. The fish gets a flavorful spice rub and then blackened over high heat. The salsa balances the sweetness of mangos with the sour punch of lime juice. And in my house, there’s no skimping on the avocado– just one more advantage to eating in.

By the way, this is a great recipe for a crowd: the spice rub can be made days ahead, and the salsa can be made a few hours in advance. Then all that’s left for you to do is warm the tortillas in the microwave and quickly fry the fish on the stovetop. With a bowl of guac and chips and a whole load of corn on the cob–and okay, probably some margaritas–you have yourself a dinner party.

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Previously:
One year ago: Salade Lyonnaise + A Little Taste of Lyon
Two years ago: Squash Blossom Strozzapreti

And for my Australians:
Six months ago: Umami Bomb Mushroom Soup + How to Make Your Veg Taste Better
One and a half years ago: Tip: How to Lessen the Bite of Red Onions
Two and a half years ago: Muesli with Nuts, Dried Fruit, and Coconut

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Homesick Californian Fish Tacos

Adapted from two Cooking Light recipes: fish and salsa
Makes about 10 6-inch tacos, depending on how much fish you put on each one

Ingredients

Fish
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne (depending on how spicy you like things)
4 6-ounce (170g) halibut or tilapia fillets (see note following recipe)
1 tablespoon canola oil, for frying
Salsa
2 mangos, peeled and diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more to serve
1/4 of a medium-sized red onion, diced (see here for a prep tip!)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus some additional lime wedges, to serve
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or a pinch of red pepper flakes (to taste)
10 6-inch tortillas (I usually prefer corn tortillas, but for fish tacos, I like flour ones)
2 avocados, sliced, to serve (see note following recipe)

Instructions

Combine paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne in the bottom of a large bowl. Pat fish dry, then place in bowl with spices. Rub fish fillets with the spice mixture.

Combine mango, green onion, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and cayenne or red pepper flakes in a bowl. Stir gently.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until it reaches a desired degree of doneness. (You’ll know it’s ready to flip when it dislodges easily from the pan. Don’t touch it until then!)

Heat tortillas. Break fish into pieces, divide among tortillas. Top with salsa, sliced avocado, and extra cilantro, if desired. Serve with additional lime wedges and a cold beer.

Notes

On the fish: I use halibut for this recipe because, um, my dad goes fishing in Alaska every summer and then my mom overnights the fish to me. (I hate me when I read this, too.) But tilapia works just fine here. If you’re at all concerned about the environment–and shouldn’t we all be?–I can highly recommend this app, which has made shopping for non-terrible seafood easy. [Only want the deets on tilapia? Click here.]

On the avocado: I only slice however much avocado I need for that night, so as to avoid the rest going brown in the fridge.