I had really awesome fish tacos in Aruba last year but they came with soft tacos. I am a huge fan of hard tacos even though real tacos are supposed to be made with soft tortillas. The avocado relish is what makes this fish taco really delicious. The avocado relish is a combination of salsa and guacamole so you don’t have to make two separate toppings. If you love guacamole then you are going to love this fish taco. I like my fish tacos spicy but you can also make these non-spicy if you prefer. Fish tacos may seem complicated to make but they are actually pretty simple! I am so pleased with how these turned out! I can enjoy them without flying all the way to Aruba and with hard crispy taco shells!
I like to toast the hard taco shells right before serving for a couple minutes so they are slightly warm.
These are the ingredients you will need to prep for the avocado relish. If you plan on prepping before hand, slice the avocados later as they brown easily with the tomatoes.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the fish. If you prefer less spicy tacos, remove all the seeds in the jalapenos and run cold water through the jalapenos before chopping them. I recommend adding only half the amount of jalapenos (2 tablespoons) so it is not too spicy. If you don’t enjoy spicy food at all, I would leave out the jalapenos completely.
You can use any white fish except for cod. Cod is one of my favorite fish but the texture makes it harder for the batter to stick to the fish. I used talapia for these tacos and they were very easy to fry. Slice the fish into 1 to 1+1/2 inch cubes.
Mix flour and salt then add some of your favorite brown ale beer. I used New Castle for this batter and it turned out really well. Stir the mixture until the flour is well blended and the batter thickens. The batter should have a similar consistency as pancake batter.
Heat a small shallow pot with vegetable oil until the oil is hot but not boiling (about 8 minutes depending on the amount of oil). To test if the oil is ready for frying, drop a small teaspoon of batter to see if it bubbles quickly in pot. Fry the fish for about 3-5 minutes, flipping it over for the last minute. The fish should look slightly brown when they are done.
Make the white sauce by mixing plain yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh lime, and a dash of hot sauce if you prefer spicy tacos. Prior to assembling the fish tacos, bake the hard taco shells in the oven for about 5 minutes or just before they begin to brown. Assemble the fish tacos by lining 3 pieces of fried fish, topping with avocado relish, cabbage, white sauce, and mozzarella cheese. A lot of people enjoy sweet corn in their tacos so I added corn as an optional garnish. Serve with lime wedges for those who prefer a little extra lime juice on their fish tacos.
Makes 8 fish tacos
1lb tilapia
Avocado Relish:
1/2 c tomatoes, diced
1/4 c red onion, diced
1/4 c jalapenos, diced with seeds removed
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 c avocado, diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
White Sauce:
1 + 1/2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 + 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 tsp hot sauce
Beer Batter:
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c beer batter (brown ale recommended)
Garnish:
2 c cabbage, shredded
8 hard taco shells
1 c mozarella cheese, shredded
fresh lime wedges (optional)
1 can corn (optional)
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the avocado relish and mix together in a bowl. If you prefer non-spicy tacos, feel free to use less jalapenos or leave them out completely. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and chill the mixture in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare the white sauce by mixing together plain yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, and hot sauce. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and chill the mixture in the refrigerator.
3. Shred the cabbage into thin slices and set aside.
4. Cut the fish into 1 – 1+1/2 inch cubes. Try to slice the fish into even sizes so they are easier to fry.
5. Mix together flour and salt, then add your favorite brown ale beer and mix until the batter thickens. The thickness of the beer batter should resemble a pancake batter.
6. Coat the fish in the batter and make sure that every piece is well coated before frying.
7. Heat vegetable oil in a small pot or frying pan until it is hot enough for frying but not boiling. Fry the fish for about 3 minutes on one side then flip them over and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
8. Transfer the fried fish to a wire rack to allow the oil to drain.
9. Line 8 hard taco shells on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes at 325F or until the taco shells begin to brown.
10. Assemble each taco by lining 3 pieces of fish, avocado relish, cabbage, white sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Add any additional toppings such as corn and lime juice to your liking.
Source: Average Betty
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