SUMMER = FISH TACOS
I. Love. Tacos. Tacos are the ultimate - easy food with literally endless combinations. Summer is all about simplicity and lightness, so my favorite by far this time of year are fish tacos. From grilled red snapper to lightly breaded mahi mahi or a nice “meaty” grilled swordfish, there’s nothing better for an easy weeknight meal (or for entertaining). The hardest part is deciding on toppings!
The Baha-style, fried ones here took no time to whip up. I never use a recipe, so I'm just going to tell you what I do. For 4-6 people, take a 1 ¼ - 1 ½ lbs flaky white fish (snapper, mahi mahi, grouper, etc) and portion into strips. Basicallly, make sure the size of the fish strip fits into your taco as one or two strips. Divide a cup of flour evenly between two bowls. Season one of the bowls with salt, pepper, paprika and any other powdered spices you like until it tastes good. To the other bowl, whisk in beer until it has the consistency of wet paint.
Dip the fish strips first into the flour bowl, shake off excess and dip into the beer batter. Let any extra drip off and fry in about an inch to an inch and a half of oil (at 350° F) until golden brown (generally 3-5 minutes). Transfer pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with some salt. Make sure to fry in batches and not crowd the pan too much.
In terms of toppings, the combination for my lamb tacos are my go to, especially the chipotle crema, but, here, I just used some pickled shallot, cabbage, fresh chile, green onion, and cilantro. My sauce was a smoked habanero crema (mayo/crema + smoked habanero sauce), but you can literally stir together mayo/crema/crème fraiche with any hot sauce you like until it tastes good.
Since it's summer, my smoked peach chutney is another topping that would be ridiculous on some fish tacos. The sweet, smokey flavors of the peach pairs perfectly with any fish dish. Or you can do a simple pico de gallo (diced tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice), super easy and refreshing.
Feel free to use soft or hard tacos. I'm partial to corn tortillas myself. Enjoy!