This recipe comes from The Best 30 Minute Recipe cookbook. I don't know why it's taken me so long to try it. It was so freaking good! I can't take much credit, as John did 99% of it. I handled the coleslaw & he fried the fish. I don't care how many arteries it clogged, totally, 100% worth it.
Baja-Style Fish Tacos
Serves 4
Ingredients:
12 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
4-5 cups vegetable oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp chili powder
Salt & ground black pepper
1 cup light-colored beer
1 1/2 lbs skinless cod, cut into 4 by 1-inch strips
3/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 lb (2 cups) pre-shredded green cabbage
1 tomato, cored & sliced
Directions:
1. Heat the oven & warm tortillas: Adjust oven racks to upper & lower middle positions & heat oven to 200 degrees. Wrap tortillas in foil & warm on baking sheet in oven.
2. Heat oil & make batter: Pour oil into large Dutch oven until it measures 1" deep & heat to 375 degrees over medium-high heat. (Use an instant-read thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep fat thermometer onto the side of the pan before turning on the heat.) While oil heats, whisk flour, chili powder, 1 tsp salt, & 1/4 tsp pepper together in large bowl, & set aside. When oil is almost ready, whisk beer into flour mixture until completely smooth.
3. Fry fish: Pat fish dry with paper towels, add half of fish to batter, & stir gently to coat. Using tongs, lift pieces of fish from batter, one by one, allowing excess batter to drop back into bowl. Add battered fish to hot oil & fry, stirring gently to prevent fish from sticking, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove fried fish from oil & let drain briefly on paper towel-lined plate. Transfer drained fish to wire rack set over baking sheet & keep warm in oven. Return oil to 375 degrees & repeat with remaining fish.
4. Make dressing & assemble tacos: Mix mayo & chipotle together & season with salt & pepper to taste. Smear each warm tortilla with chipotle mayo, then sprinkle with cabbage & diced tomatoes. Add 1 piece fish to each tortilla, fold over, & serve.
Jalapeno coleslaw recipe here.
Kim's Notes:
We don't own any kind of food thermometer & we manged to not kill ourselves by eating undercooked fish. Point? Don't let not owning a thermometer sway you from trying this. Also, I really wish we had cut the recipe in half. It makes way too much food for 2 people. John will be eating this for lunch all week.