Monday, January 12, 2009

Beer Battered Tilapia Tacos with Winter Veg Coleslaw and Cilantro Cream





















I love a nice fish taco, and although I've lived in TX for nearly a decade, I can't forget the lovely fish tacos from the California Coastal areas of La Jolla and the Beach Cities.

This recipe is incredibly easy to put together, and the Winter Veg Coleslaw can be made in advance and refrigerated for a couple of days. It's best fresh, though!

For the Winter Veg Coleslaw, adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe, you'll need:

Ingredients:
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 1 bulb fennel, trimmed
  • 3 radishes
  • 1/2 a head of red and green cabbage each, outer leaves removed
  • Handful of fresh dill, mint, parsley, leaves picked and chopped
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 lemon
  • Olive oil
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • Sea salt and pepper
Shred the fennel, and cabbage in your food processor using the chopping blade. Flip the blade over to the grating blade and shred the carrots and radishes. You can also use a mandoline or a grater.
In a separate bowl, mix half the lemon juice, a couple of tbsp of the olive oil, chopped herbs, yogurt, and dijon mustard.

Pour the dressing over the grated vegetables and mix well to coat, and season to taste with salt and pepper and the rest of the lemon juice.
For the Cilantro Cream, you'll need:

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
For the Beer Battered Tilapia, you'll need:

Ingredients:
  • About 2 qt. canola or vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • Sea salt
  • 1 cup good beer
  • 2 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
  • 1 lb. of firm fillets of a mild, white fish (bass, cod, tilapia) cut into finger sized strips.

For serving, you'll need:

  • 12 to 16 corn tortillas
  • limes
Make the Cilantro Cream Sauce - mix all of the ingredients together and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

For the fish, fill a large dutch oven or heavy pot with oil to about 2.5". Heat the oil to about 350F , checking the temperature regularly with a deep fry thermometer.

Meanwhile, prepare the batter - mix the flour and 1 tsp of salt in with the beer and stir until smooth. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Work in batches of about 3-4 pieces at a time. Using kitchen tongs, dip each piece in the batter, letting excess batter drain off, and carefully submerge the fish in the hot oil. Fry until golden and booked through, around 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet or plate lined with paper towels.

To serve: As soon as the fish has finished frying, transfer to a warm plate and let your guests build their own tacos using the fish, coleslaw, and cilantro cream. I also served with Black Beans cooked with cilantro and onions and a lemon, cilantro rice.

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