Fish Tacos with Mango Cucumber Salsa

A reader emailed me recently asking about what camera I use and if the investment is worth it. I love getting questions like this about photography. I remember when I was first starting out as a photographer and trying to get answers to the many questions I had was not an easy task. The internet is full of information and opinions and it can be really hard to filter through it all. So, today I’m answering this oh-so-popular question while enjoying these delicious fish tacos with mango cucumber salsa.

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Fish Tacos with Mango Cucumber Salsa

Photography: The Technical vs. Creative Side

I always tell people that there are two sides to photography: the technical side (your camera & equipment) and the creative side (your creative vision).

Your camera is a tool to help you execute your vision. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what kind of camera you have. If you have the creative vision, everything else will fall into place. So, try not to get too hung up on getting the most expensive camera or getting a lot of extra equipment. It’s pretty amazing what you can do with very little gear to work with.

I thought this fish tacos with mango cucumber salsa recipe would be appropriate to share to help emphasize my point. Some foods are more challenging to shoot than others. Tacos are one of those foods for me. I took a few reshoots before I felt like I had images I could work with for the blog. My plating and styling wasn’t working and although I have a great camera to work with, my vision for the shoot simply wasn’t there. This made it incredibly challenging to capture the shots I wanted.

To get beautiful images, you need to know your camera, but you also need to have a creative vision so you can make your camera work for you.

What Camera Should You Buy for Food Photography

The truth is, there isn’t a “best” camera that I can recommend for food photography. My advice is if you really want to learn photography, start with a beginner to medium level DSLR. Buy a book specific to your camera model, so you can learn how to really use it.

I started with the Nikon D3100, which is no longer available, but it’s comparable to the D3300. I also bought two books to get me going: Nikon D3300 From Snapshots to Great Shots and Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling.

I have upgraded cameras since then (Nikon D750), but starting with a beginner level camera allowed me to learn the basics and master shooting in manual mode. Once I learned how to really use my camera, I knew what to look for in my next camera to make a bigger investment worth it.

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Read More About: How To Shoot In Manual Mode and The Best Camera for Food Photography

Recipe Notes for Fish Tacos with Mango Cucumber Salsa

This recipe is really easy to throw together and makes a delicious and refreshing bundle of flavors on a warm summer day. I recommend using a light, flaky white fish to pair with the chunky mango cucumber salsa. Lightly grill the flour tortillas so they get warmed and slightly crispy, but still bendable. The combination of the fresh fish and salsa is oh-so-good! And, the best part is, the salsa is really versatile and would pair well with a variety of other foods like chicken or salads.

Happy Cooking!

Print

Fish Tacos with Mango Cucumber Salsa

Author Regan Baroni

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, zested and juiced, 1 quartered
• 1-2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (save extra for garnish)
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1 pound white fish
• 1 mango, diced
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, diced
• 3 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
• 1 medium Serrano chile, seeded and diced
• Flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 4 small radishes, thinly sliced
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, lime zest, juice from 1 lime, cilantro and half of the shallot.
3. Mix together and add fish, turning to coat both sides.
4. Let stand for 15-20 minutes.
5. In another bowl, add remaining shallot, mango, cucumber, mint, chile and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
6. Remove fish from marinade and grill 3-4 minutes on each side.
7. Internal temperature should read 145-150.
8. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
9. Flake fish apart using a fork.
10. Grill tortillas 10-15 seconds on each side and remove from grill.
11. Divide fish among tortillas, top with mango cucumber salsa, avocado, radishes and cilantro.
12. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

I used Mahi-Mahi, but you can use any white fish you'd like.

All images © Regan Baroni 2016.