Roasted Fish al Pastor

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/782247610-roasted-fish-al-pastor

https://archive.ph/shZJd



There’s nothing like al pastor — those juicy, smoky-sweet pork slices lacquered in a bold, tangy sauce packed with chipotle, achiote, garlic, lime and warm spices. This version swaps the pork for tender white fish full of those bright, punchy flavors you love from al pastor, just lighter and all done on one sheet pan. The fish roasts alongside sweet, caramelized pineapple and onion until it’s perfectly flaky and juicy. Pile it into warm corn tortillas with plenty of fresh cilantro, and definitely some guacamole.

Ingredients

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 (8-ounce) skinless white fish fillets, such as halibut, fluke, or cod, preferably of an even thickness
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 canned chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, separated
⅓ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 large limes), plus lime wedges for serving
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground achiote (ground annatto seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked pimentón or smoked paprika
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
½ small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch-thick slabs (about 4 cups), or 1 pound store-bought cut pineapple
1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch wedges
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Guacamole (optional), for serving
12 corn tortillas (optional), for serving

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat the fish dry and season all over lightly with salt.

Step 2
Mince the garlic and chipotle chiles together on a cutting board, then sprinkle with salt and mash into a paste against the cutting board using the flat side of the knife.

Step 3
Transfer paste to a medium bowl and stir in the lime juice, water, tomato paste, achiote, cumin, smoked pimentón and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in the adobo sauce and 2 tablespoons of oil until smooth. Transfer half of the sauce (about ½ cup) to a small bowl; set aside and reserve for serving.

Step 4
Using a brush or silicone spatula, paint or spread the remaining sauce all over the fish and set aside. Spread the pineapple and scatter the onions on a large rimmed sheet pan, then toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until the pineapples start to release their juice and the onions are golden brown at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and adjust the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Push pineapple and onion to the edges of the sheet pan, clearing a space in the center, and lay the fish out on that empty space, drizzling with extra oil. Roast until the fish turns opaque and is just cooked through, depending on the thickness, 6 to 12 minutes.

Step 6
To serve, top the fish with cilantro and serve with the reserved sauce and lime wedges, along with guacamole and tortillas if you’d like.