Fish Taco Salad with Black Beans + Avocado Dressing

1.
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 450 DEGREES
2.
TORTILLAS
Stack the tortillas and cut them into ½” thick strips, then in half or thirds into shorter strips. Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of olive and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat and spread out in one layer. Roast for about 5-6 minutes. Keep a close eye on them and use a spatula to carefully stir them at least once.

3.
FISH AND CORN
Place the fillets of fish on another baking sheet, ideally lined with parchment or a silicon mat. Drizzle the fish with ½ teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each: salt, cumin, chili powder and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper.

Shuck the corn and add the whole ears to the side of the sheet pan.

Place in the oven and roast for about 6 minutes. Open the oven once to rotate the corn after 3 minutes. Then after 6 minutes, remove the corn and continue baking the fish for about 10 minutes total. (You want the fish cooked through. If you have a piece that is thicker than about 1 inch, you might prefer to roast the fish longer, up to 10 minutes. Press on it with a finger to see that it’s firm and opaque throughout.)

Let the fish cool a little bit before adding to the salad.

4.
SALAD
Meanwhile, slice up the romaine into thin strips or squares. Wash and dry as needed to make sure it’s clean. Toss in a large bowl.

Finely dice half of a red onion and add it to the bowl.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half, if you prefer, or add them whole.

5.
BEANS
Open and drain the beans. When the tortillas are crisp and done, remove them from the oven and scrape into a bowl. Add the drained beans to the hot pan and cook them in the oven for 3-4 minutes. This will be just long enough to warm them a bit but not to dry them out. This is optional, but since the oven is on and it doesn’t dirty the pan, it is a nice touch for the texture of the beans.

6.
DRESSING
In a blender, place 2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar, ½ teaspoon Honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and the whole, ripe avocado (peeled). Add 2 teaspoons of water and blend. Stream in the olive oil, about 5 Tablespoons or so. If it’s too thick, add another teaspoon or so of water, whatever is needed for a smooth and not too thick consistency. The ideal texture is between sticking to the spoon - but still looking soft or close to that of heavy cream, if you like it thinner.

7.
SALAD
Add the beans to the lettuce.
Slice the corn off the cob and add it to the bowl.
Add the tortillas to the bowl.
Toss gently to combine everything.

8.
SERVING
Divide evenly among plates or big shallow bowls. If you have one fillet per person, serve a piece on top, or flake the fish in large pieces onto the plates for a more casual presentation. Serve dressing on the side or drizzled over top.