California is also known for their Mexican fare, which for the most part is superior to that in New York. I love Mexican food when it’s freshly made, but it’s hard to find quality food from south of the border that’s not chock full of artery-clogging lard and melted cheese. This is why I was thrilled when I came across the California Rancho Cookbook, which beautifully combines the flavors of Mexico and Spain with the freshness of California. You'll find recipes that combine olives, figs and raisins in otherwise familiar plates like tamales and quesadillas. This recipe wasn’t in the book, but after reading it I was inspired to try a dish of my own in the same vein. If you have yet to get your hands a copy, I can't recommend it enough. Author Jacqueline Higuera McMahan taught me techniques that I now apply to many of my Italian dishes as well.
Use the freshest fish you can find for this dish, and preferably a thick and meaty one. I would suggest the Halibut, but only if you live on the west coast – I never had Halibut in New York as tasty as it is here. Tilapia and other thin, flaky fish may fall apart in the stew, which isn't necessarily bad, but I wanted chunky pieces of fish to bite into. Red snapper would work well, and maybe even arctic char. For the sauce, I blended tomatoes, lime, cumin, cilantro and onions and cooked it with thin slices of sweet red pepper and the just-caught pacific halibut. Serve it with homemade ancho-corn tortillas and top with a little avocado mashed with sea salt and olive oil. I would advise against adding any cheese to this - I think it would just distract from the pure taste of the fish and spices.
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