Baja Style Tempura Fish Recipes

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

Steps:

• For the Beer Batter:
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.
• For Cream Sauce:
• Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).
• For the Fish:
• In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the oil.
• On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapenos, if desired.
• *Cook's Note: Crack open a cold Mexican cerveza like a Negra Modelo or a 2 Equis (XX) Amber to make this tasty beer batter, which will change the way you think about fried fish! You can use it for vegetables, too.
• **Cook's Note: Mexican Crema is Mexico's version of creme fraiche and is found at many supermarkets and can easily be substituted with sour cream.

BAJA CABBAGE SLAW

Steps:

• Remove and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut a V-shaped wedge around the tough inner core and remove and discard the core. Cut the head half into 2 equal-size sections. With a large, sharp knife or a hand-held mandoline, slice each section crosswise into a thin julienne (about 1/8 inch thick).
• Transfer the julienned cabbage to a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lime juice, and Tabasco, if using. Toss the mayonnaise mixture with the cabbage then refrigerate the cabbage slaw. Serve within a few hours.

BAJA-STYLE TEMPURA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cold water, lime juice, garlic, chiles, oregano (if using) and salt. Add the fish and set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the ice water and mustard. Gently stir in the flour, being careful not to overmix the batter; a few small lumps are okay. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Drain the fish and pat the pieces dry with a paper towel. Have a plate lined with paper towels or a cut-open brown paper bag at the ready.
• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat at least 2 to 3 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 360°F (182°C) on a deep-fry or candy or instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the tempura batter from the refrigerator and stir to recombine.
• Dredge a few pieces of fish at a time in the batter, turning to coat them evenly. Gently lower a couple pieces of fish into the oil, adding a couple more pieces every 30 seconds. Fry no more than 4 pieces at a time. Fry the fish, turning as needed, until the pieces are crisp, light golden brown, and floating on the surface of the oil, about 2 1/2 minutes. Monitor the temperature of the oil throughout frying, letting the oil return to proper temperature between batches; to ensure crispness, it must remain a constant 360°F to 380°F (182°C to 193°C).
• Using a fine-mesh skimmer, transfer the fried fish to the paper towel-lined plate or brown paper bag to drain. Repeat with the remaining fish and batter, being sure to remove any flecks of floating fried batter in between batches.
• Place the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping, on a platter. (If using extra tortillas, simply double them up.) Divvy the slaw and fish equally among the tortillas. Top with salsa and desired garnishes or allow guests to do so themselves. Grab, fold, and eat right away.

BAJA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Toss the cabbage, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, oil and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce and garlic in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Gradually add the beer, whisking until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.
• In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of ½-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F, or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when dipped into the oil.
• Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, dip the fish strips in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Let the excess batter drip off, then fry the fish in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Smear each tortilla with a generous amount of the chipotle sauce, then top with the cabbage slaw. Lay one piece of fish inside each tortilla and serve with lime wedges.
• Note: 3 chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons sauce will give you a spicy sauce. Use less for a milder sauce. You can freeze any leftover chipotle peppers from the can.
• Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 3 tablespoons of oil are absorbed into the fish when fried.
• Note: Nutritional Information does not include the chipotle sauce.

BAJA-STYLE TEMPURA FISH

Steps:

• To make the marinade, in a large bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups water, lime juice, garlic, chiles, oregano, and salt. Add the fish strips and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• To make the tempura batter, in a separate bowl, whisk together the ice water and mustard. Gently stir in the flour, but don't overmix; a few small lumps are okay. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Drain the shark pieces and pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Have a plate lined with paper towels ready. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat at least 2 to 3 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 360°F on a deep-fat thermometer. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and stir once more. Dredge the fish pieces in the batter, a few at a time, to evenly coat. Drop them in the hot fat, 2 pieces at a time, adding 2 more pieces every 30 seconds (fry no more than 4 pieces at a time). Monitor the temperature of the hot oil throughout frying, letting the oil return to proper temperature, if necessary, between batches; to ensure crispness, it must remain a constant 360°F to 380°F. If too low, the fish will be oily; if too hot, the pieces will burn.
• Fry them until crisp, light golden brown, and floating in the oil, about 2 1/2 minutes per batch. With a fine-mesh skimmer, transfer the fish tempura to the paper-towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces of fish. During frying, be sure to remove any pieces of floating batter, or they will burn and darken the oil, which will transfer a burned flavor to the tempura. Serve immediately.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the slaw and filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and garnish. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some slaw, then filling, top with salsa, fold, and eat right away.

BAJA-STYLE TEMPURA FISH TACOS

Steps:

• HowToSection Make the chile-lime marinade Array
• HowToSection Make the Baja tempura batter Array
• HowToSection Fry the fish Array
• HowToSection Assemble the fish tacos Array