The textural combination of Crispy Fish Tacos, spicy sauce and fresh mango pico de gallo will elevate your fish fry to a world traveller experience. Serve with creamy Coastal Coleslaw.
Ingredients
Toppings
Avocados, sliced
Spicy Crema
- 1 cup Mexican Crema
- OR 1/2 cup Half & Half + 1/2 cup Heavy Cream + 1/2 tablespoon Sour Cream (Combine and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours to culture)
- 2 teaspoons your favorite Latin-style BBQ Sauce OR chopped Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Fish Sauce OR pinch of Salt
In a bowl, mix crema or cream mixture with you choice of spicy sauce and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (If using chipotle peppers in adobo, a food processor is recommended. Process on high speed until smooth.)
Batter
Box of Tempura Batter Mix, prepared according to package instructions OR make your own tempura batter as follows:
- 1 cup all-purpose Flour, organic or non-GMO + additional for 1st coating
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup Seltzer Water + ice cubes for chilling
- 2 – 3 teaspoons Seafood Seasoning of your choice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Parsley
- Prepare the tempura mix according to package directions or make your own batter as follows: In a small bowl, sift 1 cup of flour and cornstarch together. Sifting the flour will remove any clumps and create a lighter batter. Add seafood seasoning and parsley, whisk to combine, then set aside. Prepare a plate or shallow dish with additional sifted flour for lightly coating the fish before dipping in the batter.
- In a separate medium bowl, gently beat egg until the yolk and egg whites are just barely incorporated. Combine the seltzer water and ice cubes in a cup. Using a strainer, strain the water and add it to the bowl with the beaten egg. (Do not add ice cubes to the tempura batter.)
- Add the seasoned flour to the bowl with the egg and water mixture and lightly mix using chopsticks. (Do not use a whisk as this will incorporate too much air into the batter.) The batter should be a little lumpy. Use batter immediately or place it in the refrigerator for a few short minutes to keep it ice cold until you’re ready to deep-fry your tempura.
Fish and Tacos
- Oil for frying (prefer high smoke-point, non-GMO oils such as Grapeseed, Sunflower or refined Peanut)
- 2 pounds fresh firm White Fish filets, skinless (such as white Bass, Drum, Snapper, Mahi or Cod), cut into strips about 3 inches long x 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide
- 12 – 16 non-GMO Corn Tortillas, softened
Preparation
- Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in a 350 F oven until soft and pliant, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and keep wrapped and warm until ready to use. If using thin tortillas, use 2 per each taco.
- In a large, heavy, deep pot or electric fryer, heat at least 3 inches of oil to 350 F. Heating the oil before the tempura batter is prepared ensures the batter is at its coldest when it hits the oil.
- Prepare the tempura batter as directed above. Lightly coat the fish in the additional flour before dipping into the tempura batter. Once coated, dip your items into the batter gently. You want a barely-there coating of batter to avoid the risk of a crispy exterior and mushy interior. Chopsticks work well for removing fish from batter.
- Add fish pieces to hot oil and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Using a wire spider, remove fish from oil and drain on a wire rack.
- To assemble tacos, add a few pieces of fish to each tortilla, then top with pico, and, if desired, chipotle crema fresca.
Wine Pairing Guide
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