Ingredients:

2 Cups AP flour

1/4 cup Corn Starch

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tsp Baking Powder

12oz Beer (the Ale of your choice)

1 Shot Vodka

Seltzer to adjust

Half a head of cabbage

1 Bunch of Cilantro

1 Carrot, Shredded

1/4 of a Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

1 Cup Mayo

Hot Sauce

Flour Tortillas

 

When you have had a long day at the beach, or when you NEED a long day at the beach, Fish Tacos are pretty much the best sounding dinner there is. We are fans of all fish tacos but our favorite are fried. They are simple, easier than they sound, impressive to serve at a feast, and most of all, delicious.

To prepare the fish: 

1. Fill a dutch oven about half way full with a neutral oil. We prefer vegetable or canola. It needs to come up to at least 360 degrees before frying so this will take some time.
2. Mix all dry ingredients (except a cup of flour that you will need later) in a bowl to combine. Make sure the beer and/or seltzer are cold and add to the mix. Like with most things in the kitchen, start with a little less liquid and add more if needed. It is a lot easier to add more liquid than it is to take it out. The batter should be a little thinner than pancake batter. Thick enough to coat a spoon but not so thick that it will be more fried batter than fish. Too much and your final product will be chewy rather than crispy. Go for crispy.
3. Make sure your fish is dry and cut evenly. You want to avoid uneven bits because this will lead to uneven cooking. Season the cup of flour you set aside with some salt and pepper. remember that seasoning all steps along the way will make more layers of flavor. The more the merrier!
4. When your oil is up to temperature, dredge the fish in the flour and then dunk in batter. Let excess drip off to ensure an even coating. When putting fish into hot oil, always lay them away from you. This will ensure that if it splashes down it will splash away from you so you wont get burned. Fry until golden brown, drain on a paper towel and season with a sprinkle of salt when it comes out of the oil. You need it to be wet so that the salt adheres to it. This little sprinkle is the difference between how most people fry at home, and how they do it in the restaurants.

To make the slaw: Shred or grate cabbage, add some chopped cilantro, a small amount of shredded carrot and thinly sliced onion. Season with fresh lime, salt, and pepper.

To make spicy mayo: combine your favorite brand of mayo with your favorite brand of hot sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Yup, that’s it! you could use other chili products as well like chili paste, chili oil, chili flakes, chili powder, fresh chilies, etc. Make the mayo spicy. that is the objective.

To finish tacos: warm some flour tortillas (we prefer the flour for this kind of taco since they are a little more stretchy than the corn) spread some mayo down, put some fish there with some slaw. Eat and repeat.

Bonus tip: To dispose of oil properly, cover it and let cool overnight. The next day, use a funnel to pour the oil back into the jug it came in and dispose of in the regular garbage.

Cheers!