Taco Tuesday


I did not realize that Cinco de Mayo was this week till I saw a post for enchiladas in one of the food blogs I follow. More evidence that I have completely lost track of date and time due to the lockdown. I am convinced that I am not the only one caught in this time warp as the New Yorker Magazine just came out with a cartoon called What Day is It? Luckily enough, we had all the fixings to make fish tacos at home. Because, hello, it is Cinco de Mayo? We must have Mexican food and beverages! So what if they do not really celebrate this day in Mexico and so what if we are not sure why the date is important in Mexican history? We just need an excuse to eat tacos. So Taco Tuesday it was to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The only thing we were missing was Mexican beer, but the Anchor Steam IPAs we had in the fridge was more than adequate.

I do not batter fry fish for the fish tacos I make on a regular basis. Deep frying is too much hassle and I do not undertake that task unless it is a special occasion. Typically, I lightly coat chunks of fish fillets in taco seasoning and pan fry them. Since today was a special Taco Tuesday (on account of Cinco de Mayo), I thought I would go the extra mile of dipping the fish in a beer batter and deep frying them. Though the process was more time consuming than my usual fish tacos, the final product had a great combination of textures and flavors -- soft tacos, crispy fish, crunchy shredded cabbage, and creamy lime zest-infused crema. We also had chips, salsa, and guacamole on the side.


What You Need:

Fish Tacos
1 lb firm-fleshed white fish fillet (I used Dover Sole today)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
11/2 tsp Taco seasoning
1/2 cup beer (preferably, dark Mexican beer)
2 cups shredded cabbage (I had a bag of pre-shredded cabbage)
Corn tortillas

Crema
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
4 tbsp water
Salt to taste

Directions:
Mix crema ingredients together and set aside.

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add beer, whisking to break down lumps. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

Wash fish fillet and pat dry. Cut fillet into 2-3 inch strips. Sprinkle with flour and taco seasoning.

Add enough oil to a frying pan to reach about 1 inch depth. Heat over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a drop of batter added to the oil gradually rises to the surface.

Dip the fish fillet pieces in beer batter, dripping off the excess, and then add to the hot oil. Fry till golden brown (about 5 minutes), turning over once. Drain in paper towels or spread out in a baking tray and keep warm in oven if not serving immediately.

Roast corn tortillas over an open flame.

Place 2-3 pieces of fried fish on each taco. Top with shredded cabbage and crema. 






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