Perfect Crispy Fish Tacos

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We have been eye-balling this Bon Appetit Perfect Fish Taco recipe for some time now, as they are mouth-watering.  Literally, we have been drooling over them and dying to make in our kitchen.  Well, we finally, and while it was good, it wasn’t perfect.  What was perfect about their recipe was how crispy the fish became by using a batter made of flour as well as rice flour and club soda.  What wasn’t perfect was that it was rather bland.   What did we do?  We kicked it up a notch or two to make what we thought was the Perfect Crispy Fish Tacos.

Even though the toppings for this taco are pretty kick-ass, I mean how can you go wrong with an insanely citrus slaw, jalapeños, and hot sauce!  We still felt it was lacking, especially in the seasoning department for the batter that coats the fish.  It was downright bland.  So we bumped up the seasoning by adding our favorite taco seasoning, as well as a little pepper.  The fish still became extra crispy when fried, so no harm there.

The slaw was really good, overall it would have been fine.  In true Chez Us fashion, we wanted more, so we made it a bit more outstanding by adding a little extra citrus fun as well we used savoy cabbage which is a bit zippier as well as delicate.  We opted to not pickle jalapeños and used fresh instead.  Also, we couldn’t find any Fresno red peppers, to make the hot sauce, so we used a Chipotle one that we love.

End result …. pretty darn perfect!

Happy Taco Tuesday.

Recipe:  Perfect Crispy Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

Fish
2 pounds tilapia
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white rice flour
2 teaspoons favorite taco seasoning (we like this one)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups club soda
grapeseed oil for frying
Maldon salt

Cabbage Slaw
1 bunch of cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup mayonnaise
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium savoy cabbage, very thinly sliced
6 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and light green parts only)

Tacos
corn tortillas
hot sauce, we used chipotle flavored
avocado slices
cilantro, optional
jalapeños, optional
lime wedges

How To:

Fish

1. Remove any bones from the fish fillets. Using tweezers (clean ones) makes this easy.
2. Cut each fillet in half lengthwise, then cut eat half on a diagonal into 1″ strips. Work with the natural shape of the fish as you cut, as this will help the pieces stay together when frying.
3. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, seasoning, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the club soda until no lumps remain. Adjust with more club soda or rice flour as needed to make the batter the consistency of thin pancake batter. It will be pourable but thick enough to coat the fish.
4. Fill a large pot with 2″ of oil, and fit with a deep-fry thermometer. Heat over medium-high heat until it registers 350.
5. Working in batches of 5 pieces, coat the fish, letting the excess drip off, then carefully place into the hot oil.
6. Don’t overcrowd the pan. The oil temperature will drop, and the fish will stick together.
7. Fry the fish, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, kitchen tongs or a fish spatula, maintaining oil temperature at 350, until the crust is puffed, crispy and golden brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
8. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet; season with Maldon salt.

Slaw

1. Separate stems and leaves from the cilantro.
2. Coarsely chop leaves.
3. Place the stems, sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice into a food processor and puree. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
4. Whisk in the mayonnaise until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Toss in the cabbage, scallions, and chopped cilantro leaves.
6. Mix well.

Assembly

1. 1. 1. Heat the tortillas one at a time over a gas burner or on a griddle, until lightly puffed in areas; about 1 – 2 minutes per side
      2. Transfer to a plate, and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
      3. Top tortillas with fish, slaw, and avocado slices. You may also add more cilantro, jalapeños and a squeeze of lime juice.
      4. Serve.
      5. Eat.