adapted from Recipezaar (Note: Ignore the original recipe's title. These taste nothing like Rubio's.)
Ingredients
12 1- to 1 1/2-ounce pieces of halibut or cod
12 corn tortillas
oil (for deep frying)
Beer Batter
1 cup flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups beer (I used Boddington's pale ale)
garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and salt, to taste
White Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yogurt
Salsa
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
5 tomatoes, ripe, seeded and diced
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish
1/4 to 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
Limes, cut into wedges (I fro-got to put them on my plate. D'oh!)
Method
Prepare white sauce and salsa and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet until oil temperature is about 375°F.
Mix flour with spices. Stir flour mixture into the beer and mix until well blended. Pat fish completely dry, then dip in batter until thoroughly coated. You don't want it too thick, but one nice goopy layer will do.
Place fish in hot oil in a single layer. Do not let pieces touch each other. Cook fish until batter is crispy and golden brown, a few minutes per side. Drain on a rack over paper towels.
Heat the corn tortillas lightly in a skillet to soften.
To assemble, place a piece fish on each tortilla, drizzle with white sauce and top with salsa, cabbage and a squeeze of lime. Fold tortilla over to serve.
NOTES
1. Fish tacos are one of my favorite foods ever EVER and these were pure bliss. I'm thrilled that I'm succeeding with these at home because I have such a difficult time - yes, even here in southern California - finding them exactly the way I like them. So thanks for this great find Blythe!
2. I don't have an oil thermometer. I have simply figured out when oil is hot enough for frying through trial and error and some good tips (thanks Krysta!). However, I did have slight issues with the pieces wanting to stick to the bottom of the pan when I turned them over. Thankfully, they turned with a little prodding, but I'd like to avoid that in the future. Any suggestions? Am I correct in guessing I needed more oil for the fishies to swim in?
3. The salsa was a lovely surprise. Normally we throw on something from a jar and call it a day. I was really glad I made the effort to do this one differently. That mound (I really piled it on!) of cool diced and minced vegetables was a perfect match with the white sauce and the fish.
4. This is my third attempt at homemade fish tacos and this was the best batter so far, I think because I added more beer. In the past, I was a slave to my recipe measurements; thus, the batter was too dry and made for a thicker, slightly chewier coating. But this fish was light and crisp, exactly what I want when I crave fried fish. So be sure to add enough beer to make a more liquid, smooth batter. Trust your judgment.
26 comments:
I agree that the batter and salsa were excellent. I'd use that recipe as my go-to for salsa, in fact. More later.
Glad you liked them!
Yum, yum, and yum. I love fish tacos, too. LOVE. The best fish tacos I have ever had were at some dinky stand in San Diego...years ago. Don't even know if they're still around.
I've made them many, many times at homes, but I usually bake them since my stomach has a low tolerance for fried food. Not the same, for sure, but it will usually suffice.
And I always buy the pre-made/jarred salsa too, but I have no doubt that this is a way better. Of course.
I'm absolutely drooling over here. I want this for dinner tonight!!!
Amazing photographs. Care to comment on the choice of omitting lime juice in your salsa?
I lived in San Diego for a spell and fish tacos are one of the things I really miss. I have made them myself a few times, but the batter has never come out right and I always end up getting oil everywhere. 8(
I think I will give these a try.
Blythe, they really were. I still added a bit of juice (i.e., habanero salsa drops) to mine. Loved 'em. I'm using the same kind of salsa, or really, pico de gallo, tonight for steak tacos.
To both Bill and Amy - Fish tacos are one of the reasons I miss San Diego. I lived there for four and a half years and Orange County just isn't the same.
Amy - As for the frying, I don't know if you can't take it because of too much oil, but I have the same issue. Doesn't sit well with me. But this go round with the fish was nearly perfect as far as that goes. Fried, but somehow light. A nice crisp and not heavy at all. It's what so many Mexican places can't accomplish around here, sadly.
Bill - I did comment under my Garnish section that I forgot the lime. D'oh! I know it was a silly oversight. A nice squeeze of citrus would have been perfect. Next time! And I do hope you try these. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment!
Any suggestions? Am I correct in guessing I needed more oil for the fishies to swim in?
yes, the fishes will swim better and not stick as much...
these look SO delicious...if nothing else i'm taking the pico recipe :)
Thanks Julie. And yes, do the pico! It's very "clean" if that makes sense. Very fresh and light on the palate as an accompaniment. Can't wait to have them on my carne asada.
Regarding the frying...okay, that actually makes me optimistic about trying them. Did you know that Paul lived in SD for 4 years? He misses the fish tacos too, and would love if I made these.
Oh Amy you should! I didn't know that. He would love these, I bet. I still say you should have a more liquid salsa to put on top though. This is more pico de gallo. But it's totally what you prefer.
Jewels is right, more oil will help them float. But if you're like me, I just don't have the stomach to use so much oil that I'll throw away. I really thin and sturdy metal spatula works well too.
Also, if the oil is too greasy, you can fry them crispy on both sides and then finish in the oven --- which will help it release some of the oil.
So, I just landed in San Diego last night... where should I get awesome fish tacos??? It seems to be the place?
Melissa,
Your fish tacos look excellent! I do happen to be lucky enough to live here in San Diego and I indulge in them whenever I can. I've never attempted to make them at home because I rarely fry anything. I do enjoy a good fish taco with grilled fish, but the fried ones are the best! That's a good tip to add more beer to the batter. I like a crisper piece of fish, too.
(Now I'm wishing that I hadn't given away a brand new electric deep fryer that we had.) :-(
In North San Diego County, Harbor Fish on Coast Hwy in Carlsbad is known to serve one of the best! And, beware, they don't use the small tortillas, these tacos take up an entire plate. I haven't seen many people be able to finish two of these!
YES!!! HARBOR FISH HOUSE! I love the ones there LS. I used to get two and just not eat anything on the side. I was fuuuuuull.
I tend to like the fish tacos from fish places more than Mexican places. Because to me it's all about the craving for fried fish. There was a fish place in Escondido that used to have all you can eat fish tacos on Tuesdays - they were small, but so good. I'd eat, like, six or seven. Haha!
Julia, I wish I had more suggestions. It's been too many years since I lived there. Try Yelp or Chowhound though. You probably can't go too wrong. And thanks for the tips about the oil!
I like this so much better that you put a beer bstter on the fish. I use Ellie Kriegers recipe and I guess i'm not a real cooking light girl because everyhing taste better battered!
I was visiting a blog that was hosting a "show me where the magic happens" (kitchen) event. She had been to Use Real Butter's Blog and linked where your kitchen is featured. I still sigh and dream when I see the pictures of your kitchen = )
Katherine - I'm all for light with some things, but I really, really love fried fish tacos. So if I'm going to have them, I do them proper!
And where was this?? That is so sweet of you to say and I thank you. Truly, I've learned to appreciate my kitchen much more since this Spring.
Hi Melissa,
Just wanted to give you a fish-taco update. I went to El Zarape because it seemed to get such rave review on yelp. They were mediocre at best... and truthfully, I was a little sad if those were considered the best. Yesterday, I went to "World Famous" which is right on Pacific Beach. Those were great!
I haven't been to Harbor Fish yet... and I'm not sure I'll make it just because it's a bit out of the way.
If not, ah well. At least you had a good one in PB! San Diego is like any place else. Hit or miss. Like I said above though, it seems to me that over time I found I preferred the ones at fish places rather than Mexican places because I know that piece of fried fish will be the focus.
Those puffed up really nicely! I have tried beer battered fish in the past and they turned out soggy and soft. I will have to try this recipe next time.
i LOVE this recipe. the batter is beyond perfect. i prefer these fish tacos to any fish taco i've ever had at a restaurant. AND it's so simple!
Katie, I hope you do.
Jessica, I know! :D Glad you liked them. They're so simple in fact, and so much better than ones I've had out, that I almost made them again today.
Yay! for fish tacos. I have not been able to find a decent "regular" recipe for this forever.
This will be one that I'll use on a "Cheat" night. Sounds fabulous. (It's hard to find this kind of stuff up here)
Tink, that's right, I bet you do miss them. When Steve and I talked about leaving southern CA for Texas a few years ago, one of the things on my "to do" list was to learn how to cook fish tacos. I didn't even cook at all back then, but dammit, I wasn't going to give them up without a fight!
Yum, yum, yum! These look delish. When I get back to cooking I need to make these.
I'm ashamed to admit this, but even though we've lived in California for 1.5 years now, I'd never had a fish taco till 2 weeks ago. Daaaamn they're good!
Neen, aren't they the BEST?? I prefer making them myself at this point when I get a craving, since I've been able to make them exactly how I like them. So good.
Somewhere back in my old posts from last year, I have a beer batter recipe, too. It was the first time I ever had luck with it, glad you enjoyed yours, too. I'm due to go again, I may go with cod next time (catfish is far more prevalent in the southeast.)
Elliott, I know it's different geographically - cod is so traditional in the northeast, but tilapia and pollock are often used here in California. Not my thing - I'd rather use the halibut!
I grew up with cod and lake perch for fried fish, I'll have to check out halibut. For living so close to the coast, it's strangely difficult to get fresh fish, at least where I shop.
Post a Comment