Crispy Fish Tacos Recipe

Pico

• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
• Salt
• Juice of 2 limes
• About 2 ½ cups chopped tomatillos (tart salsa) or red tomatoes (sweeter salsa) (6-7 tomatillos)
• About 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Hot sauce, to taste, optional

Fish, Taco and Chipotle Sauce

• 1 ½ pounds Fish tacos sustainable cod or halibut,  tilapia or flounder, cut into thin strips 1-11/2 inches by 3 inches, slicing across the fish filets or chunks    
• Salt
• 1 cup Wondra superfine flour
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic
• About 1/3 cup safflower oil or peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons chipotle paste or mashed chipotle in adobo
• 1 ½ cups Mexican crema
• 1 lime  
• (Tip: I serve my sauce in a squirt bottle, using a funnel to transfer.)
• 12-16 soft corn tortillas 6 inches (I make a few extra in case I burn a couple and it depends on how full you prefer your tacos)  
• ½ white cabbage, cored and very thinly shredded by knife or mandolin or food processor

Optional Toppings

• Radishes, sliced or matchsticks
• Mild or hot pickled jalapeno rings 
• Diced avocado with lime

Refried Beans

• 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable or safflower oil
• About 1 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons coriander
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, Frank’s Red Hot or other cayenne pepper sauce
• Salt  
• 1 cup water
• 2 cans pinto beans, drained 
• Juice of 1 lime

For pico place the onions, garlic, lime and salt in a bowl, let stand for 10 minutes, add tomatillos or tomatoes, cilantro or parsley, cumin and hot sauce, combine.

Whisk up crema sauce with chipotle and lime and transfer to squirt bottle with a funnel, if using.

Mix Wondra with spices in a shallow dish. 

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat, about 1/3 cup.  Shake off the milk and cook fish to brown and crispy 3-4 minutes turn cook 1-2 minutes more and transfer to a platter.   

Meanwhile, heat a second skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add 2 T oil, add onions and jalapeno, garlic, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, salt, soften a few minutes then add water and let it evaporate and absorb.  Add beans and heat through, transfer to the food processor and process to smooth.  Add 1 T more oil to pan and add beans back and let them get crispy at the edges a bit, transfer to serve. 

For soft tortillas, char the tortillas over open flame or in dry stainless or a cast iron pan 30 seconds on each side. 

To serve: taco, sauce, fish and cabbage, toppings of choice and beans alongside.