Can something fried ever tastes worse than something grilled?
Well . . . maybe, but in this case the fried fish tacos won hands down against the grilled fish tacos I made a few days earlier. Granted, I did use a less-than-ideal fish when making the grilled fish tacos. But still, there's something about that spicy, crunchy salty coating in a fried fish taco that is just so satisfying.
The fish in these fish tacos are dredged in a mixture of flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper before being quickly pan fried for a few minutes. What results is a golden brown, crunchy piece of fish with a kick that tastes fantastic in a taco.
Definitely add the spicy chili mayo and fresh pico di gallo! It really kicks this dish up several notches!
Fried Fish Tacos from The New York Times
Makes 12 tacos
Ingredients
For the fish
1 tablespoon canned chipotle pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound firm white-fleshed fish, cut across the grain of the flesh into strips about 1/2 inch wide by 3 inches long (I used cod, which worked great!)
Other Garnishes (not all are required - this is all up to you!)
12 6-inch fresh corn tortillas
2 cups shredded green cabbage
pico di gallo
smoky tomato salsa
spicy chili mayo
Preparing the Fish
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, chili powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and black pepper. Pour the milk into another medium bowl, and place the fish into it.
Pour 1/4 cup of the peanut oil into a 12-inch frying pan and place over medium-high heat until it shimmers and is about to smoke. Remove the fish pieces from the milk bath and dredge them lightly through the flour mixture, shaking to remove excess. Place some fish pieces in the oil, without crowding them, and cook until deep golden brown on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn carefully and cook for 1 minute more. Remove to a warmed, paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining fish.
Preparing the Tortillas
Meanwhile, heat the tortillas, one or two at a time, in a nonstick pan (or lightly oiled pan) on medium heat until they are soft and hot. Keep them warm, wrapped in a dish towel.
Assembly
Instead of writing out directions, I'll do it visually. :)
Enjoy!
Beautiful! Love that baja flavor, I will definitely be using that flour coating next time.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to save yourself another pan to wash, try heating the tortillas in the microwave. Wrap a few tortillas with a damp cloth, set on a plate and zap for 30 seconds. Soft and steamy!
I am totally with ya! Fried = so much better than grilled, especially when it comes to fish tacos! And the bursts of color are especially delicious (and beautiful!)
ReplyDeleteDelicious! I just did tacos too :) YUM!!!!
ReplyDeleteyay!!! i commented too soon!
ReplyDeletei'm going to try this this weekend!
now this is dinner!
ReplyDeleteone of the main reasons I can't wait to move back to cali--the fish tacos.
I LOVE baja-style fish tacos and your version looks just about perfect. There is something amazing that happens when crispy-fried fish meets rich, spicy mayo. Throw in some crunchy cabbage or lettuce and you have a work of art. Can't wait to make these.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I picked wrong!
ReplyDeleteNic - thanks for the tip about the microwave!
ReplyDeleteLivia - Jeff could have told you that! ;)
Delicious--I plan to make these fish tacos tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteOMG-YUM!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's been so long since I've had a real Baja style fish taco, and your photos are making me crave them. I love that you kept it real with the cabbage and fried fish.
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious! I'm obsessed with fried fish tacos right now. There's a tiny place by my apt that makes them with mahi mahi in beer batter, and they use purple cabbage that gives it amazing color and crunch.
ReplyDelete