Fact: I am still obsessed with going somewhere tropical. Fact: my wanderlust has led to an explosion of colorful, vegetable-filled dinners that pack tons of spicy, smoky flavor. Fact: no one is complaining.
These cod tostadas were borne out of a sale on both mangos and cod at the grocery store, and a chance discovery of corn tortillas in the fridge. (Does anyone else stumble upon random things in the fridge and have zero recollection of buying them? Should I be worried?) While the easy solution was fish tacos, I’ve already got a favorite version of those, and why mess with a classic?
So I did a bit of Googling and found tostadas. I’ve never actually made tostadas, because when going down the path of crispy, crunchy tortillas I inevitably end up making nachos. But fish nachos sound less than ideal, so here was the perfect opportunity for me to finally go the tostada route. (I did all of this thinking while at the grocery store, wandering the aisles and doubling back 15 times while the store people looked at my like I’m crazy. This is probably how I end up with all sorts of random things in my fridge.)
While tostadas are traditionally fried corn tortillas, I baked them with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and ended up with crisp, crunchy perfection. The cod sits in a quick marinade of lime, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder and paprika, then gets sauteed until flaky. On top is a quick mango salsa, built off of my favorite mango-black bean salad and so fresh and flavor-packed that I’ve been eating it with a spoon. You know a salsa’s good when even I am eating it sans chips, given that I spend my days finding excuses to fill my body with tortilla chips.
The tender fish is a nice contrast to the crunchy tostada, and everything is fresh and bright and spicy and so, so good. Sure, it’s no beachside fish roast, but it’s an extremely delicious substitute.
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Spicy Cod Tostadas with Mango Salsa
Ingredients
For the fish
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pound cod, halibut or other firm flaky white fish
For the mango salsa
- 3 champagne (Ataulfo) mangos, diced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 shallot, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1–1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
- juice of one lime
For the tostadas
- 8 6-inch corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the mango salsa: in a large bowl, combine the mangos, bell pepper, jalapeño, shallot, cilantro, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the lime juice and stir to coat well. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to one day).
- Marinate the fish: In a large Tupperware, combine the lime juice, cilantro, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper. Add the fish and coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour).
- While the fish marinates, make the tostadas: preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, then place four of the tortillas on the sheet. Drizzle with half of the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake for 8 minutes, flipping the tortillas halfway. Remove from the oven and repeat with the second batch.
- Cook the fish: in a large pan, heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the fish and cook for 5 minutes on the first side. Carefully flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the fish is opaque and firm. Remove from the heat and flake the fish into large chunks with a fork.
- Assemble the tostadas: place the tostada on a plate and add the flaked fish. Top with the mango salsa and serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
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