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Tofino's "Killer Fish Tacos" from The Sobo Cookbook

The Sobo Restaurant began in 2003 in a purple food truck located in a Tofino parking lot and overnight became a food destination attracting hungry surfers, tourists and locals.

The Sobo Restaurant began in 2003 in a purple food truck located in a Tofino parking lot and overnight became a food destination attracting hungry surfers, tourists and locals. Owned by Lisa and Artie Ahier, they were one of the first food trucks to be chosen for EnRoute magazine's prestigious list of Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada. In 2007, Sobo moved to their permanent downtown location and have helped establish Tofino as one of Canada's best dining destinations for authentic West Coast local cuisine.


sobo cookbookThe Sobo Cookbook, by Lisa Ahier was published in 2014 and immediately became a Canadian national bestseller. The book has won numerous awards including being selected as one of the top twenty cookbooks from around the world by the Globe and Mail and a Gold medal from the Taste Canada Food Awards. Lisa shares over 100 of the restaurant's all time favourite recipes and is simply a must own cookbook for anyone living on the West Coast.



Sobo's legendary "Killer Fish Tacos" recipe:


sobo

Serves 8

Fresh Fruit Salsa (see below)

1 1b wild salmon, boneless and skinless

1 1b halibut, boneless and skinless

1 Tbsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup small diced red onion (about 1 onion)

1/2 cup pureed canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

16 crispy hard taco shells

Prepare the fresh fruit salsa.

Cut the salmon and halibut into 1-inch cubes and season with the salt.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 1 minute. Add the fish and fry for about 3 minutes, until just cooked. Add the chipotle chilies and sauté for 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat.

Fill the taco shells halfway with the fish mixture, then top with the salsa.

Serve immediately, two tacos per person

Fresh Fruit Salsa

This salsa should reflect the season, so don’t be a slave to the recipe. I mix it up all the time, combining fruits like peaches and blueberries with watermelon, or pineapple with avocado—buy what’s fresh! This recipe makes 5-6 cups.

4 kiwi fruits, diced small

½ pineapple, diced small

1 mango, diced small

1 small papaya, diced small

2 avocados, diced small

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use. This salsa will stand up for about 24 hours, after which time the fruit begins to break down.

Cook's Note: The fruit in this salsa should be diced smaller than for a fruit salad, but not so small that the fruit turns to mush. It should amount to 5–6 cups all together. If you intend to prepare the salsa in advance, don’t add the avocado until immediately before serving as avocado turns brown quickly.

Recommended BC Wine Pairing:


fandango

Terravista Vineyards Fandango 2014 ($21.66)

A blend of two white varietals, Albariño and Vardejo. "Sporting aromas of lemon, peach with a hint of pear the palate remains steely clean with a whisper of wet stone. Persistent lemon curd with a mini twist of lime carries the finish."


Bob and Senka Tennant opened their own winery Terravista Vineyards in 2012 on the famed Naramata Bench. They are the first winery in Canada to grow both the Albariño and Verdejo grape varieties which have been grown in northwest Spain and Portugal for over nine centuries. The result is the award-winning Fandango wine now in it's fourth vintage which has become a BC cult favourite.


Photos and recipe with permission from Penguin Random House Canada.