I love tacos of all types. But Fish Tacos are my favorite. I've also been a big fan of Chef Rick Bayless for years. He has put authentic Mexican cooking on the map. He's also shown us, through TV shows, cookbooks, and numerous on-line videos, that we can create these dishes at home, too.
With today being National Taco Day, a Fish Taco recipe seems perfectly appropriate. And who better to provide a Fish Taco recipe than Chef Bayless. Hopefully he considers this reposting of his recipe as the flattery that it's intended to be.
Gozar!
INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt
1/2teaspoonMexican oregano
1/2teaspoon fresh black pepper
1teaspoon
1teaspoon concentrated chicken base or chicken-flavor powdered bouillon
1cup beer, sparkling water or water
1cup all-purpose flour (or use cake flour for a slightly lighter crust)
1teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3cup Mexican crema, crème fraiche or sour cream
about 1/4cup milk
1cup (or more) thinly sliced cabbage (I like Napa cabbage best)
About 1cup salsa (Chopped Tomato-Green Chile Salsa, Toasted Arbol Chile Salsa, Roasted Green Chile Salsa, or even one of the Mexican hot sauces like Tamazula or Valentina)
2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges
Vegetable oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches for frying
1pound boneless, skinless fish filets (practically anything will work, but I like larger-flake, lighter-flavor fish best for this preparation—think halibut, sea bass, grouper, cod and the like)
12 warm corn tortillas
Make the batter. Finely chop the garlic, sprinkle generously with salt, then mash back and forth with the side of your knife across your cutting board until crushed to a puree. Scrape into a medium bowl and add the oregano, black pepper, mustard, chicken base or bouillon, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in the beer or water, then add the flour and baking powder and whisk just until combined.
Prepare the condiments. Mix together the mayonnaise, crema or sour cream and enough milk to give the mixture an easily spoonable consistency; scrape into a serving bowl. Set out with the cabbage, salsa and limes in serving bowls. 38/368
Fry the fish. Heat the oil in a deep heavy skillet to 375 degrees. While the oil is heating, cut the fish into pieces about 3 inches long by 1/2 inch square. Use a pair of tongs to pick up a piece of fish, dip it completely into the batter, and lay it into the oil, letting it dangle a few seconds before letting it go (this helps to keep them from sticking on the bottom). Continue with a few more pieces of fish, filling the hot oil with an uncrowded layer. Fry, turning the pieces regularly, until deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven on a wire rack set over a sheet pan while you fry the rest of the fish.
Serve. Transfer the crispy fish to a warm platter. Bring it to the table with the warm corn tortillas and all the condiments for everyone to make delicious tacos.
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