Fish tacos (Milk Street)

For these tacos, choose a firm, meaty white fish—we liked cod and tilapia. Coating the fish with seasoned cornstarch before frying gave the pieces a delicately crisp crust that contrasted nicely with the tender, flaky interior. To add bright notes and pull all the flavors together, we made a creamy dressing laced with jalapeños, fresh oregano and lime. Offer shredded cabbage, thinly sliced radishes and fresh cilantro as additional fillings.

2 teaspoons grated lime zest, plus 5 tablespoons lime juice, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 jalapeño chilies, 2 stemmed and sliced into thin rounds, 1 stemmed, halved and seeded

1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves

6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds skinless white fish fillets (see note), cut into 1-by-2-inch strips

4 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

8 corn tortillas, warmed

PICKLE THE JALAPEÑOS

4 Tbsp lime juice

¼ tsp kosher salt

2 jalapeno chilies, stemmed and sliced into thin rounds

In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of the lime juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in the sliced jalapeños and set aside.

MAKE THE SAUCE

2 tsp grated lime zest, plus 1 Tbsp lime
1 jalapeno chili, stemmed, halved, and seeded
⅓ cup fresh oregano leaves

6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayonnaise

In a food processor, combine the lime zest, the halved jalapeño, the oregano, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Process until the garlic is finely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and process until smooth, another 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise.

COAT THE FISH

⅓ cup cornstarch

2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1½ lb skinless white fish fillets, cut into 1 X 2 inch strips

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the fish and toss to coat. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.

COOK THE FISH

4 tsp grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until beginning to smoke. Add half of the fish in a single layer and cook without disturbing until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip each piece and cook until light golden brown on the second sides, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared wire rack and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining fish.

SERVE

Smear some of the sour cream mixture onto one side of each tortilla. Divide the fish among the tortillas and top with pickled jalapeños.

Sicilian Trapanese Pesto (Gemelli With Tomato-Almond Pesto and Croutons)

Makes 4 servings

When we sampled this no-cook tomato sauce while in Sicily, it was made the traditional way, with a large mortar and pestle, but a food processor gets the job done faster and more easily. Topped with crisp, olive oil-infused croutons and toasted almonds, the dish is served warm or at room temperature after the pasta has had a little time to soak in the flavorful sauce. Instead of blanched, slivered almonds, you could also use sliced or whole almonds that have been roughly chopped.

Don’t overprocess the second addition of tomatoes. We pulse the first half to create a juicy sauce, but the rest we pulse only until roughly chopped so that tomato chunks add bursts of bright color and texture.

¾      cup blanched slivered almonds
12      ounces gemelli or other short pasta
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4        medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
½      cup lightly packed fresh basil, leaves torn if large
2        pints cherry tomatoes, divided
6        tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
3        ounces crusty white bread, torn into rough ½-inch pieces (about 1¾ cups)

In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high, toast the almonds, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside; reserve the skillet.

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta and 2 tablespoons salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, process ½ cup of the almonds, the garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add the basil and half the tomatoes, then pulse until chopped and well combined, 4 to 6 pulses. Add the remaining tomatoes and 2 tablespoons oil, then pulse just until the whole tomatoes are broken up, about 3 pulses. Transfer to a serving bowl, add the pasta and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water, then toss. Let stand, tossing once or twice, for 10 to 15 minutes, to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.

While the pasta stands, in the same skillet used to toast the almonds, toss the bread, remaining 4 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium, stirring frequently, until the bread is crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Scatter the toasted bread and the remaining ¼ cup almonds over the pasta. Drizzle with additional oil and sprinkle with pepper.