Let me tell you this at the outset. I have never been to Baja, Mexico. Not that I wouldn’t want to go there someday, I just haven’t been yet. True aficionados of “real” Baja food may want to get in my face and say, “That isn’t Baja food. You don’t know what you’re talking about, dude!” Maybe so. So, here is my disclaimer: "What’s your point, dude?” I've had fish tacos in dozens of restaurants and in several countries in my life...this is how I like them. You can find as many taco recipes as there are cooks who make them. But here is my little lesson in taco-making that may prevent you from visiting Taco Bell or Del Taco ever again.Whatever fillings you decide to put in your homemade tacos...fry your own taco shells. Those pre-made things found in the grocery store aren’t worth the effort, especially if you are putting all that work into what goes into them. Besides, half of the shells are cracked and broken by the time you get them home.
Starting with the tortillas themselves, I buy small (6 inch) Mission brand White Corn Tortillas. The 36-count package runs about $1.30 and comes in a plastic bag sealed with a twist tie. You’ll pay more than that for the 12-count tortillas in one of those fancy-dancy resealable bags. You can freeze them, but make sure the bag is sealed tightly and try to use them within a couple of weeks or they will get a nasty, freezer-burn taste.
Here’s are two ways to prepare the white corn tortillas for tacos. Traditionally, Mexican cooks grilled them on a hot, flat grill “seasoned” with a little oil. Cook them until they begin to curl a bit, flipping them a couple of times. Try not to get them crisp on a flat grill, it will make them tough and also prevent you from folding them when the time comes. They should still be pliable. Store them between clean kitchen towels in a warm oven until ready to fill.
The other way to prepare them (the method I prefer) is in hot oil...fried, if you will. In a good, heavy-bottomed pan, heat about 1/2 inch of good, clean canola or peanut oil until just before it begins to smoke (about 375 degrees). Using tongs, fry them one at a time about 20 seconds on each side...longer if you want them crispy. The key to crispy, folded tacos is making sure you fold them before they get crisp. Remove from the oil, and drain the tortillas on a paper towel lined plate, standing them up like pup tents. It may seem a bit tedious this way, ie, don’t walk away from a tortilla in hot oil, but the results are worth it. A couple of tips: Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying your first tortilla. If if isn’t hot enough, it will just soak up the oil and take too long to cook. Keep the tortillas in the fridge (cold) until just before you cook them. They just come out better that way. And, hold the crispy fried tortillas on that paper towel lined plate in the oven, uncovered. They should stay nice and fresh and crispy for 30 minutes or so. After that amount of time, they will begin to get tough.
For my Baja Style Crispy Fish Tacos...you can use any mild, firm white fish like Cod. In recent years, I have preferred a fish called Basa (sometimes called Tra). This is a farm-raised species of catfish found in Southeast Asia, specifically, the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. You can use American-raised catfish fillets as well, but Basa is very mild, firm, and sometimes less expensive than other available white fleshed fish. Many cooks will tell you the preferred fish for Baja Tacos is Mahi Mahi, called Dorado in Mexico. Dorado is wonderful for this application, especially if you are going to grill the fish. But it is quite a bit more expensive. Fish species preferences aside...here’s the plan.
Start by cutting your fish filets into 1/2 inch wide pieces, about 3 inches long each. If you are doing this ahead, keep them in the refrigerator until time to cook. Also, make sure the pieces are dry, dab them with a paper towel. If they are wet with water when you coat them, the egg wash and bread crumbs won’t stick. Wet pieces of fish are even worse if you are using a tempura style batter. Here is what I used for the Crispy Fish Tacos in the photos.
The Coating:
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups Panko crumbs
Salt & Pepper
My Special Seasoning
Chipotle-Lime Crema:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 chipotle peppers (canned, in adobo sauce), diced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt & freshly ground pepper
The other stuff:
1/2 pound of Basa, Mahi Mahi, Snapper, Cod, Halibut, or other firm white fish
6 white corn tortillas (6 inch size)
Canola oil or Peanut oil
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped or chiffonade
Fresh lime wedges
For the Chipotle-Lime Crema, simply combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For frying the fish, season the Panko crumbs with salt & pepper and place in a large, flat bowl or pie pan. Beat the eggs with the milk and place in a medium bowl, place along side the Panko crumbs, next to the stove. Heat about 2 inches of the oil to 350 degrees in a medium size pan. Make sure the oil is up to temperature before frying the fish.
Take the cut pieces of fish and lightly season with salt & pepper. I also use a small amount of my own seasoning at this point, I’ll post the ingredients at the end of this recipe. Coat the fish pieces in the egg and milk mixture, then coat them with the Panko crumbs. At this point, you can store the coated fish pieces on wax paper (keep them separated) in the refrigerator if you are doing things ahead of time. If not, drop the coated pieces into the hot oil and fry them until they are golden brown and crispy. Don’t let them get too dark, as it will change the flavor of the Panko crumbs and taste bitter. Depending on your salt preference, lightly salt the fish when they come out of the oil. Drain the fish on paper towels and hold them in a warm oven, not covered, until all of them are finished.
To assemble the tacos, place one of crispy fish pieces in a tortilla. Slather on a little Chipotle-Lime Crema. Place a small handful of shredded green cabbage on top of the fish. Then add enough diced onions to suit your taste. Squeeze on the juice from a lime wedge. Then add another dollop of crema and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
This recipe is portioned for two people (6 tacos). Three of these Crispy Baja Fish Tacos may not be enough for you. But, if you are serving Mexican Rice or Charra Beans as side dishes, that should be plenty for each person.
An alternative coating recipe would be any good tempura beer batter. If that is the case, you should plan on lightly dusting the fish pieces with flour before coating them with the batter...it will help the batter stick. Either coating method produces great results and tasty fish tacos. The beer batter thing is much more messy though!
The other fish cooking option would be to grill the fish on a mesquite wood BBQ. In that case, leave the fish fillets whole and cut them up after cooking. It’s a completely different flavor...but oh so goooood as well!
The Chipotle-Lime Crema is an incredibly smooth, slightly spicy topping for these fish tacos...though a good, fresh Pico de Gallo works just as well if you are not into the fatty-mayo-sour cream thing.
Beverage choices: Chardonnay, or Corona, or a real (non-blended) Margarita.
My Special Seasoning:
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground cumin
