← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• ¼ small white or red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 Lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
• 4 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1 chipotle chilli in adobo, finely chopped (optional)
• 150 g plain flour, plus 2 tbsp for dusting
• 30 g Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 pinch Cumin
• 250 ml cold light lager
• 500 g firm white fish such as cod or haddock, cut into finger-sized strips
• 1 l vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 12 small corn or flour tortillas
• 1 Avocado, sliced (optional)
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), leaves picked

Method

1. Toss the cabbage with half the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Stir the mayonnaise, crema, chipotle (if using) and remaining lime juice together and season.
2. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pan so it is no more than one-third full and heat to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
3. Whisk the flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and cumin in a bowl, then whisk in the cold beer until just smooth; a few lumps are fine.
4. Pat the fish dry, season it and dust with the extra flour. Dip a few pieces at a time in the batter, let the excess drip off and lower them carefully into the oil.
5. Fry in batches for 3–4 min, turning once, until puffed, deep golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and let the oil come back to temperature between batches.
6. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan, then fill each with fish, slaw, a drizzle of sauce, avocado and coriander. Serve with lime wedges.

Tips

• Never leave hot oil unattended, and keep a lid nearby; let it cool completely before disposing of it.
• For no-fry tacos, season the fish with chilli and cumin and pan-sear for 2–3 minutes per side instead.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Pati Jinich BBC Good Food