In Mexico, a dairy-based sauce is called a ‘crema’.
Jamie: Fast & Simple
30 mins
Not Too Tricky
makes 4 tacos
About the recipe
Award-winning cook and food writer Ixta Belfrage drew upon her family’s Italian, Mexican and Brazilian heritage for this stunning recipe she shared on Jamie’s new series Jamie: Fast & Simple. Smoky fish, sweet crema and spicy umami paste come together to make the perfect bite every time.
Recipe From
Ingredients
300g white fish, such as cod, skin off, pinboned, from sustainable sources, cut into 2cm chunks
60g Japanese mayonnaise
50g tinned or fresh ripe pineapple, finely chopped
1 bunch of spring onions, washed and trimmed
4 soft corn tortillas (I use the Nagual brand)
1 lime
1 clementine
UMAMI PASTE
2 fresh red chillies, roughly chopped (deseed if you like)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
100g tomato paste
1 tablespoon runny honey
10g dried wild mushrooms
2 teaspoons chipotle chilli flakes
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
olive oil
Top Tip
Some shop-bought corn tortillas contain gluten, so make sure to check the label if you need this dish to be gluten-free.
Method
- Add the paste ingredients and 80ml of oil to a blender or food processor. Blitz to a paste, scraping down the sides and loosening with a little water or oil, if needed.
- Add the fish to a bowl with 40g of the paste, then gently mix.
- To make the crema, add the mayo to a small bowl, stir in 30g of the paste, then stir in the pineapple.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Toss the spring onions with a little oil and salt. Add to the hot pan in a single layer and char for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a board.
- Add the tortillas to the pan in batches, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a board and keep covered.
- Return the pan to the heat, lightly grease with oil, then add the fish, spreading it out in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the underside is charred, with a lovely blackened crust – don’t be tempted to turn it.
- Toss the pan and continue to cook for another 30 seconds, or until nicely charred all over, but not overcooked.
- Slice the spring onions into bite-sized pieces.
- Spread some of the crema onto each tortilla, top with the fish, followed by the charred spring onions. Serve with lime and clementine cheeks for squeezing over.
Recipe adapted from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, published by Ebury, 2022.
The paste will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. To help preserve it, cover it with a little layer of oil.
- You can easily swap the white fish for prawns, chicken or veg.
- If you don’t have Japanese mayonnaise, try adding a thimble of red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar to regular mayonnaise, to taste.
If your blender isn’t the strongest, you might like to soak your dried mushrooms in water to soften them before using, to get a smoother paste.
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