Baja Style Tempura Fish Tacos Recipes

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• For the Beer Batter:
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.
• For Cream Sauce:
• Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).
• For the Fish:
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the oil.
• On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapenos, if desired.
• *Cook's Note: Crack open a cold Mexican cerveza like a Negra Modelo or a 2 Equis (XX) Amber to make this tasty beer batter, which will change the way you think about fried fish! You can use it for vegetables, too.
• **Cook's Note: Mexican Crema is Mexico's version of creme fraiche and is found at many supermarkets and can easily be substituted with sour cream.

BAJA-STYLE TEMPURA FISH

Steps:

• To make the marinade, in a large bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups water, lime juice, garlic, chiles, oregano, and salt. Add the fish strips and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• To make the tempura batter, in a separate bowl, whisk together the ice water and mustard. Gently stir in the flour, but don't overmix; a few small lumps are okay. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Drain the shark pieces and pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Have a plate lined with paper towels ready. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat at least 2 to 3 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 360°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and stir once more. Dredge the fish pieces in the batter, a few at a time, to evenly coat. Drop them in the hot fat, 2 pieces at a time, adding 2 more pieces every 30 seconds (fry no more than 4 pieces at a time). Monitor the temperature of the hot oil throughout frying, letting the oil return to proper temperature, if necessary, between batches; to ensure crispness, it must remain a constant 360°F to 380°F. If too low, the fish will be oily; if too hot, the pieces will burn.
• Fry them until crisp, light golden brown, and floating in the oil, about 2 1/2 minutes per batch. With a fine-mesh skimmer, transfer the fish tempura to the paper-towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces of fish. During frying, be sure to remove any pieces of floating batter, or they will burn and darken the oil, which will transfer a burned flavor to the tempura. Serve immediately.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the slaw and filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and garnish. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some slaw, then filling, top with salsa, fold, and eat right away.

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, beer, and taco seasoning mix.
• Wash catfish nuggets and pat dry with paper toweling.
• In a food processor or blender, process for a few seconds sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and additional taco seasoning mix to taste.
• You don't want to totally liquify the cilantro.
• Prepare garnishes as you heat about 1/2" of oil in a cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan to 360F.
• Dip fish nuggets into batter and place in hot oil with a fork.
• Turn once after about 1 minute and brown the other side for another minute.
• Do this in batches.
• Don't crowd the fish.
• Drain on paper toweling and keep warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve.
• Heat tortillas in foil in the oven or nuke them wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

BAJA FISH TACOS WITH CHIPOTLE CREAM

Steps:

• FISH TACOS: Heat peanut oil to 350F in a large dutch oven or deep fryer. In a 9" x13" glass dish, combine club soda and tempura batter mix. Season fish with salt and pepper. Coat pieces of fish in batter and carefully drop them into the hot oil to cook.
• Fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Warm tortillas in the microwave or in a dry skillet over medium heat. Pile some fried fish on each corn tortilla and top with chipotle cream, red onion, cabbage and cilantro sprigs. Squeeze on some fresh lime juice and enjoy.
• CHIPOTLE CREAM: Combine ingredients in a small mixing bowl with a spoon or rubber spatula until combined, adding more or less chipotle according to your taste.