It was Cinco de Mayo this Sunday, so Mexican was a must. And I was dying to cook something from the new Mexican themed magazine from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications that I'd picked up from the supermarket.
I was up North visiting some good friends of mine with my bestie Amanda, so we tackled the recipe together and she was keen to make corn fritters so we did those too. And I'm so glad we did. They were definitely the highlight of the meal.
The tacos were good, but a bit flat. We bought salsa instead of making the Salsa Pina suggested for the Baja Fish Tacos, which was a mistake as it needed bite and our salsa didn't quite cut it. I think this would have made a huge difference for the flavour. We also couldn't find any corn tortillas and I think they would have improved the taste. I'd be willing to try them again with these changes.
Baja Fish Tacos
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes per batch
Ingredients
-2 pounds fresh or frozen firm-flesh whitefish fillets, such as cod or red snapper, cut into bite-size strips
-Salt
-4 cups finely shredded cabbage
-1/2 cup chopped green onions
-1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro
-3 tablespoons white vinegar
-3 tablespoons lime juice (my addition)
-2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
-1 teaspoon sugar
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup cornstarch
-1 tablespoon paprika
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 cup beer
-1 egg, lightly beaten
-Vegetable oil for frying (we used peanut)
-12 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
-2 avacados, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced
-1 recipe Salsa Pina or purchased salsa (below)
-Lime wedges
Directions
1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rince fish; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle fish with salt; set aside. In a medium bowl combine cabbage, green onions, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of oil, the sugar and kosher salt. Toss well to combine; cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. For batter, in a bowl combine 3/4 cup of the flour, the cornstarch, paprika, and baking powder. Add beer and egg; stir until batter is combined but still slightly lumpy.
3. Preheat oven to 200F. In a large skillet heat about 1 inch of the frying oil to 375F (without thermometer, drop a 1-inch bread cube into the hot oil, when bread crisps in 60 seconds, its about 375F).
4. Place the remaining 3/4 cup flour in a shallow dish; dip fish pieces, one at a time, into flour, turning to coat and shaking off excess. Dip into batter. Fry fish, four pieces at a time, in hot oil for 2 to 4 minutes or until crispy and golden, turning once halfway through frying time. Drain on paper towels. Keep fried fish warm in the oven while frying remaining fish.
5. To serve, place one or two fish pieces in center of each warm tortilla. Top with cabbage mixture, avocado slices, and Salsa Pina. Serve with lime wedges.
Makes 6 servings
Salsa Pina: In a bowl whisk together 1 cup pineapple preserves; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro; one fresh jalapeno chile pepper stemmed, sedded and finely chopped; and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Makes about 1 cup.
Corn Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/4 cus self-rising cornmeal mix
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 (15.25 ounce) can corn, drained
Vegetable oil, for frying (we used peanut)
Directions
Heat oil to 325 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Add milk mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in butter and corn.
Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven, or use a deep-fryer. Drop by tablespoons into hot oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
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