Fish in a flash: Bear Tooth chef shares her go-to cod tacos recipe

The Eat Alaska Project is a partnership of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Alaska Grown.

There are so many good reasons to make fish tacos tonight. Fish doesn't get any fresher than off of a fly rod in July. Or maybe you have a freezer full of Alaska cod from your latest trip to Costco. What's more: fresh or frozen, fish is fast. It thaws quickly and cooks quicker.

Perhaps the best reason of all is the following recipe for cod tacos, courtesy of Bear Tooth executive chef Natalie Janicka. (Frankly, any fish will work, she says.)

But first, a little bit about fish, flavor and philosophy.

Janicka has been a part of Bear Tooth and its food philosophy from the beginning. Now executive chef, she began as a sous chef for both the Theatrepub and the Grill when they opened 15 years ago, and has helped to develop and refine Bear Tooth's menu. Based on "flavors of the sun," the Bear Tooth team has streamlined its style to reflect specific cuisines from such countries as Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina and Brazil.

So how does seafood play into Bear Tooth's Latin-inspired leanings?

"All cod building-wide is Kodiak Jig," Janicka said, referring to Kodiak Jig Seafoods, a partnership between the Alaska Marine Conservation Council and the Alaska Jig Association that markets Kodiak cod and rockfish, and promotes community, conservation and quality. "We do pay more for it, but it's supporting our neighbors; it's fair pricing for a great item; and the quality and care is evident when it arrives."

A Kodiak Jig Seafoods item has been line caught and individually processed. "It's a little bit more hyper-local," Janicka said, adding that it's important to Bear Tooth that it be able to promote its seafood as not only Alaska-sourced, but to pin it to a place (Kodiak), and to people:

"We know the faces and the families," she said. "We know that because they're getting a fair living, they can support stores in their area, and our customers here are willing to pay that increase (about $1.25 per plate)."

Bear Tooth's food philosophy is to put the best ingredients in front of people: The pepperoni is Boar's Head, the cheese is Tillamook, the cod is Kodiak Jig.

"Nothing here is accidental," she said. "It's all thought out and tasted and discussed."

Janicka's cod tacos are no exception. "It's a classic," she said of the recipe. "It's been here from the beginning."

What's even better for the weeknight chef or dinner party host: "It's a no-brainer. It takes no technique." Except to cook the fish hot and fast, she later qualified: on the grill or under a broiler is best. She added that if you choose to cook it in a hot saute pan, the marinade will create a little crust on the fish, which is also really nice.

The marinade is a simple concoction of colorado sauce and beer, and works its magic in only 10 minutes -- incidentally, the same amount of time it takes to preheat the grill.

"We use our house hefeweizen," Janicka said, "which is a great platform for our beer."

The Bear Tooth combines the beer with its scratch colorado sauce -- a recipe of roasted chiles and tomatoes that takes three hours to prepare in-house -- and, unfortunately, is not for outside sale. The hefeweizen, of course, can be purchased from the Bear Tooth to-go counter and taken home in a growler. In this marinade, it turns out that the beer performs the same job on the sauce that it does on the rest of us: it lightens the intensity and takes off the edge.

For the home cook, Janicka says that any fish you have on hand, paired with a store-bought colorado sauce, can be used in the recipe for a tasty result, though white fish helps the marinade stand out and stay bright.

Her version only adds beans and an assortment of fresh fixings to round out the recipe. The radishes, Janicka noted, are aligned with Bear Tooth's Latin inspiration. "They're used by all the street vendors in Mexico," she said.

"The crispy, spicy bite goes perfectly with the taco."

Bear Tooth Cod Tacos

Makes 4 servings

Time: 20 minutes

8 oz. hefeweizen beer

24 oz. colorado sauce (store-bought red chile sauce or red enchilada sauce)

4 (4-oz.) Alaska cod fillets

8 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas

1 1/2 to 2 c. mixed cooked beans (pinto and black)

Garnishes: chopped Alaska grown romaine lettuce, sliced Alaska grown radishes, sour cream, guacamole, salsa

Tortilla chips, for serving

Combine beer and colorado sauce in a large bowl; add cod and coat fish all over with marinade; let sit in marinade at least 10 minutes. Heat broiler to high. Remove fish from marinade and place on a baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil on high, about 5 minutes, or until just cooked through. To serve, place beans in tortillas, top with cod and garnish as desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

This story is sponsored by the Eat Alaska Project. Make this dish and post a photo on social media! Tag it with #eatalaska.

This article was produced by the special content department of Alaska Dispatch News in collaboration with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Alaska Grown. The ADN newsroom was not involved in its production.