Fish Tacos

I love fish tacos. They are easily my favorite type of taco..when prepared properly. The best fish tacos I have ever had were at the South Beach Bar & Grill in San Diego, CA. They’re light, flavorful and a great summertime meal. Normally, I am not a fan of fried seafood, but this recipe is a home-run, the fish is flaky and tender and does not come out of the fryer greasy. To accompany the fish taco’s we prepared pickled red onions and jalepeno’s as well as baja crema.

This recipe is from epicurious and we have tweaked it a bit and added pictures.

Recipe and lots of pictures after the jump.

Fish Taco Platter – Adapted from Epicurious

Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeños

1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
5 whole small jalapeños
2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

Note: The Onions and Jalapeños go great on salads as well as Black Beans and Rice. This can be made well in advance.

Baja cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Pinch of salt

Fish

2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons Sriracha
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 pounds skinless mahi mahi, cut into 1/2×1/2-inch strips. Any flaky white fish would work well.

16 corn tortillas
2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Fresh salsa
Guacamole

For baja cream:

Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Note: Not pictured.

For fish:
Mix buttermilk, cilantro, pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish; toss. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil; place in oven to warm. Whisk flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Add enough oil to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Heat oil until thermometer registers 350°F.

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Working in batches, remove fish from marinade and dredge in flour.

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Carefully add fish to skillet, cover partially, and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to oven to keep warm. Fry those delicious little fishes. By the way Le Creuset, if you’re reading this, we love your products. Feel free to send them our way we’ll advertise the hell out of them.

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Those look so tasty. Make sure to add a little sea salt. Try not to eat them all immediately out of the fryer.

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For pickled red onion and jalapeños:
Place onion and jalapeños in heatproof medium bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)