Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Fish Tacos
with a
Chipotle Cream Sauce & Cabbage Slaw

Fish Tacos have the potential to be delicious but seldom do I find a version that knocks me off my feet; they are always so blah and I find my taste buds searching for something more.  That being said, I took it upon myself to create my idea of the perfect fish taco and I figure, what better time to do it than for this Cinco de Mayo occasion.  These are no boxed-version of a ground-beef taco with raw flour tortillas, or as I like to call them, Gringo tacos.  I don’t mean to offend, but if you know anything about Mexican food, ground-beef tacos and raw tortillas, of any kind, are a major faux pas.  These, on the other hand, are absolutely mouth-watering and once you try them you can always adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Fish Tacos:

1 Catfish fillet cut into big chunks (cod, haddock, halibut, or any other white, flaky fish work just as well)
3-4 garlic cloves, made into a paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
Corn tortillas

Chipotle Sauce:

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 scallions, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, remove seeds if you want less heat and finely chop
1 lime, juiced
Salt

Cabbage Slaw:

1 bag of cabbage slaw mix already chopped and prepared (found near bagged salads in any grocery store)
Cilantro, chopped
1-2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Red onion (optional)

To prepare the chipotle sauce, combine the yogurt, garlic, scallion, chipotle, and lime juice in a small bowl and mix well.  Season with salt, to taste.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To make the cabbage slaw, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend together.  The chipotle sauce can be a little spicy so the cabbage slaw works really well to create a good balance.

To make the tacos, put the fish in a bowl while you prepare the garlic paste.  For the paste, place the garlic cloves on the cutting board and chop them, it does not have to be perfect.  Sprinkle at least 1 teaspoon of salt on top of your chopped garlic and chop while dragging your knife over the garlic until it creates a smooth paste.  Add the garlic paste to the bowl of fish.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and cracked black pepper, turning the fish to coat evenly.  Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 4 hours.
In a shallow dish, place enough flour to coat the fish.  I season the flour with a little chili powder and black pepper.  No need for salt as the Worcestershire sauce contains plenty of it.  Coat the fish pieces in the flour, making sure to shake off the excess.  Heat enough oil to coat the pan, carefully placing the fish pieces in the oil, cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy.  Season the cooked fish with a dash of salt, fresh black pepper, and a sprinkle of chili powder while the pieces are still hot.   I prefer to place anything I fry on a cooling rack opposed to a paper towel because I find the paper towel ultimately makes them soggy.

Now, on to the tortillas.  One thing I can’t stand is a raw tortilla.  By raw, I mean one that is not at least heated before it is served.  I like to heat a skillet with oil, in this case I used peanut oil, and lightly fry the tortilla just until it starts to bubble and get crispy but still pliable enough to shape into a taco.  After they are slightly fried, I place them on a baking sheet, shape them into a taco form with the handle of a wooden spoon, and bake until they reach the desired crispness.  If you do not want to fry the tortillas, at least throw them on the grill for a few minutes or even under the broiler but there is just something so satisfying about biting into a perfectly fried tortilla; still soft but with the perfect amount of crunch.  I have to say, without that textural element, these tacos wouldn’t quite be the same.

To serve the tacos, spread a spoonful of the chipotle sauce on the taco shell, fill the shell with a couple of pieces of fish, and top with the cilantro and lime cabbage slaw.

* TIP: Not sure if your oil is hot enough?  Place the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil, if little bubbles form around the handle your oil is hot enough.

* TIP: If you find your limes are not juicy enough, place them in the microwave for ten seconds to get the juices flowing.

*NOTE: Chipotles are smoked and dried jalepeños.

Now, tell me that doesn’t look good!

 Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Celebrate Responsibly.

xoxo, Xristina Marie
 for The Refined Palate

© 2011 Xristina Miros

Tags: cabbage, cabbage slaw, catfish, chipotle, Christina Marie, cino de mayo, cooking, fish tacos, food, Mexican, Mexican food, seafood, tacos, the refined palate, tortillas, Xristina Marie