Baja-style fish tacos
You’ll find an explosion of flavours and textures in these Baja-style fish tacos: crisp fish in batter, rich, smooth avocado cream and tangy tomato salsa.
Ingredients
- 150g/5½oz white fish fillet (such as pollock), cut into strips
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- fresh coriander, to serve
For the tortilla dough
- 75²µ/2â…”o³ú plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 30ml/2 tbsp very hot water
- salt
For the batter
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú plain flour
- 25g/1oz cornflour
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 80ml/2¾fl oz lager
For the salsa
- 1 plum tomato, finely diced
- ¼ red onion, finely diced
- ½ red chilli, finely chopped
- small handful fresh coriander, chopped
- ½ lime, juice only
For the avocado crema
- 1 very ripe avocado
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp soured cream
- 1 lime, juice only
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the tortilla dough, put the flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the oil, followed by the hot water. Work the water into the flour using a fork until incorporated, then use your hands to bring the dough together.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead firmly for about 5 minutes until it feels soft. Divide into four equal pieces, roll into balls, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest while you make the salsa and avocado crema.
To make the salsa, mix the tomato, red onion, chilli and coriander in a bowl, squeeze over the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
To make the avocado crema, halve the avocado and scoop the flesh into a blender. Add the mayonnaise, soured cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, adjust the seasoning to taste and set aside.
Preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
To make the batter, sift the flours into a large bowl, then add the cumin and a pinch of salt. Whisk the lager into the flour until smooth. Set aside while you cook the tortillas.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium–high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball of dough to a thin disc, roughly 10cm/4in in diameter. Dry-fry the tortillas for 20–30 seconds on each side, flipping once. The tortillas should remain soft and pliable. Wrap them in a clean tea towel to keep them warm while you fry the fish.
Dip the fish strips in the batter to coat evenly, then let the excess batter drip off before gently placing the fish into the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes – in batches if necessary – until the batter is crisp and the fish cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper.
Place a little avocado crema on each tortilla, add two pieces of fish and top with a further spoonful of crema, some salsa and fresh coriander.
