Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m properly fussy when it comes to fish. I like the expensive stuff (like lobsters, and big prawns, and scallops) or the meaty stuff (monkfish, I’m looking at you!) but can’t do anything that actually smells or tastes fishy, or hasn’t actually been cooked (smoked salmon is my nemesis…). But I’ve got a couple of months of dental work lined up so I’m on a quest to find “easy” things to eat, and fish is one of the most obvious candidates. Only I don’t eat it often, and have probably only ever cooked it from scratch once. Ever. So yeah. This was going to be tough! But I saw this recipe in Olive magazine and remembered various people raving about fish tacos so figured it was worth a shot. OM(G!) NOM NOM!!!!
Seriously, what is not to love about this recipe! Lovely fresh homemade salsa that is a total doddle, and despite frying the fish it was properly light and flakey with just that wee bit of spicey crunch from the seasoned flour coating. And eating it all felt all kinds of virtuously healthy!
This is yet another crazily imbalanced taste to effort ratio recipe – the salsa takes longest (ha!) and if you can do that in the afternoon then all you’re left to do in the evening is the fish, and that really does take next to no time. Honest. Given how terrified I was at the thought of cooking fish this was a good recipe to start with. And when the weather gets warmer this will be the perfect light supper to rustle up quickly, more so if you cheat and buy ready made salsa đ
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 4 tbsp cornflour
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- big pinch turmeric
- 1 egg
- 300g sustainable firm white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Corn oil
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 small red onion, very finely chopped
- 1 small avocado, diced
- 1/2 lime, zest and juice
- handful coriander, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tbsp pickled jalapenos, chopped (optional)
- Tortilla wraps (4-6 depending on how stuffed you like your wraps)
- 1 lime, quartered
- If you can, make this a couple of hours ahead of time as it will give the salsa time to develop.
- The best salsa, according to Hubby, is made by skinning and gutting your tomatoes first, so⌠fill a deep bowl with boiling water, and the sink with enough cold water to cover your tomatoes. Cut a wee cross at the top and bottom of each tomato and then one by one plunge into the boiling water first for about 30 seconds, fish out with a slotted spoon and drop into the cold water in the sink. The skins should now peel off really easily. Once youâve peeled them, quarter, and then pull/scoop out the seeds and liquid and discard. Dice up whatâs left and pop into a bowl, and then mix in all the rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir about. Place in the fridge until youâre ready to eat â the lime juice will keep the avocado from turning colour so make this as ahead of time as you like.
- Mix the flour and cornflour with the spices and season really well (seriously, do not be shy with the salt here!) and put on a flat plate.
- Crack your egg into a shallow bowl and beat.
- Heat a large saucepan with 2cm of oil. When you can brown a cube of bread in 30 seconds then its ready.
- Toss all the fish in the beaten egg until itâs well coated, and then toss it in the seasoned flour until, again, itâs well coated (I slapped on the CSI vinyl gloves and got stuck right in!). Fry for 2-3 minutes until the pieces have turned crisp and golden â depending on the size of your saucepan you may need to do this in two batches - and then âfishâ out (sorry!!) and drain on kitchen paper.
- Try a bit when itâs cooled down enough and salt if required.
- Warm some tortillas up, pop three or four bits of fish down the middle, spoon over the salsa, squeeze a bit of lime all over, wrap it up and eat it up!
