Adapted from Rick A. Martinez’s Spicy Citrus-Marinated Fish at NYT Cooking, this meal is well worth making! I cheated by using wild caught Atlantic Mackerel instead of baking white fish. It worked just as well and when marinated, the fish soaked up the spicy citrus flavour marinade beautifully. I added iceberg lettuce which tempered the spiciness of the fish and pico de gallo and added some fresh crunch! Give it a go! I am so glad I did.
This makes one serving although there is enough marinated fish for two servings. If making for two, double the pico de gallo, lettuce and potato tortilla amounts. If making for one, store the remaining marinated fish in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator and make the accompaniments again for another meal!
Spicy Citrus-Marinated Fish
Ingredients
bowl of fresh iceberg lettuce, finely sliced (or cos lettuce)
handful of fresh, green onions, thinly sliced
1 potato tortilla, per serve (see post dated 19 January 2026)
Marinated Fish
120 grams wild caught Atlantic mackerel in brine (tinned or in glass)
2 red chillies, stems trimmed and pounded
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pounded
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pico De Gallo
4 small Roma tomatoes, chopped
several slices of red onion, finely chopped
handful of fresh cilantro, washed, spun, air dried and finely chopped
1/4 avocado flesh, chopped
Method
Take one or more potato tortilla out of the freezer, place on a serving plate and set in the sun.
Squeeze the orange and lime juice and add to a bowl. Peel the garlic and slice. Trim the ends off the red chillies and slice. Add the garlic and chillies to a small mort & pestle with a generous pinch of salt and pound until you have a paste. Add the garlic/chilli paste to the juices along with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Take 1/4 cup of the marinade and place in another bowl. Open the mackerel and place the fillets into the marinade. With a fork, press the fillets down, opening up the meat so the marinade penetrates. Set aside.
Prepare the pico de gallo. Chop the tomatoes, onion, fresh cilantro and avocado and add to the bowl with the quarter cup of marinade. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
Wash, spin, air dry and finely chop the iceberg lettuce and green onions. Place in a bowl.
When you are ready to serve, place the bowls of marinated fish, pico de gallo and lettuce/green onions on the table. Serve each person a plate with a warm potato tortilla. Pile the desired ingredients on your tortilla, wrap and enjoy!