Citrus-Chile Fish Tacos with Charred Pineapple and Crunchy Slaw

Read through the recipe, then gather the equipment and use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything. Keep the pickle, crema, marinade, slaw and salsa groups apart, and set the pineapple rings and jalapeño on a tray for the grill. Everything is prepared and grouped before the grill goes on.

Toss about 4 oz red onion with about 1/4 cup fresh lime juice and 1/4 tsp kosher salt in a small bowl and set it aside while you cook. The onion turns bright pink and softens, about 30 minutes.

Toast about 1/4 cup raw pepitas in a dry 8- to 10-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan, until they puff and start to pop, about 3 to 4 minutes. Move them to a small bowl to cool.

Stir about 3/4 cup sour cream, the minced chipotle peppers, 1 tbsp adobo sauce and 2 tbsp fresh lime juice together in a small bowl until the crema is smooth and pale orange. Cover and refrigerate it until serving.

Whisk 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, about 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tsp lime zest, the garlic, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp kosher salt together in the shallow dish. Mahi-mahi spoils fast when it warms, so buy it well chilled and keep it in the refrigerator until it goes into the marinade. Lay about 1 1/2 lb mahi-mahi fillets in the marinade and turn to coat. Wash your hands and anything the raw fish touched. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator until the fish is well coated and chilled, about 15 to 30 minutes, and no longer, because the citrus starts to turn the fish soft.

Meanwhile, toss about 3 cups green cabbage with 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and 1/4 tsp kosher salt in a large bowl until the cabbage glistens and just starts to soften, then refrigerate the slaw. Brush about 1 lb ripe pineapple and the jalapeño all over with 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.

Heat the grill to high heat with the grate about 4 inches (10 cm) above the heat, then brush the grate clean. The grill is very hot and the grate is clean.

Grill the pineapple rings and the jalapeño over high heat, turning once, until the pineapple has dark grill marks and the jalapeño is blistered and charred in spots, about 6 to 8 minutes. Move them to a cutting board.

Cut the grilled pineapple into small dice and stem, seed and finely chop the jalapeño. Toss them in a bowl with about 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and 1/4 tsp kosher salt until the salsa looks glossy and juicy.

Lift the fillets out of the marinade, let the excess drip off and discard the marinade. Grill the fillets over high heat, turning once with the wide spatula, until the fish is opaque throughout, flakes easily with a fork and reads 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part, about 8 to 10 minutes. Move the fish to a platter.

Char the tortillas directly on the grate over high heat, turning once, until they are soft and pliable with a few blackened spots. Stack them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

Taste the salsa and the crema with a flake of fish. Aim for sweet-sour salsa, smoky crema with heat that builds, and fish that tastes seasoned all the way through. If anything tastes flat, add kosher salt to taste. Everything tastes bright and well seasoned.

Break the fish into large flakes and pile it into the charred tortillas with the slaw, the pineapple salsa and a drizzle of the crema. Top with the drained pickled onion, the toasted pepitas, about 1/2 cup fresh cilantro and the lime wedges for squeezing, if using, to make 6 servings. Refrigerate leftover fish, salsa and crema within two hours, and reheat the fish to 165°F (74°C). The tacos are built and topped.