You can't throw a rock without hitting a fish fry this time of year. And while I'm not complaining — I love a plate of battered fish, fried to golden perfection, as much as the next Minnesotan — my San Diego roots have me craving my crispy fish tucked inside a warm tortilla.
Originating in Ensenada, Mexico, the fish taco has migrated north over the years to become one of San Diego's most iconic dishes, and like most iconic dishes, there are a million versions. Some are grilled. Some are fried. All are topped with either a salsa or, more commonly, a creamy sauce made with mayonnaise and sour cream, along with an assortment of other fresh and flavorful ingredients.
This week's recipe, Pan-Fried Fish Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Slaw, is my own take on a hometown favorite.
What I love most about a good fish taco is the variety of flavors and textures that find themselves gathered together inside, in this case, a flour tortilla. I like to use flour tortillas for this taco, but corn tortillas work well, too.
A firm whitefish like cod or halibut is the star of the show, although I would argue it's more of an ensemble production.
I skip the trouble of deep frying the fish, but still achieve the desired crispy coating by instead dredging my fish in rice flour before giving it a quick pan fry.
Rice flour helps ensure the coating keeps its signature crunch, but you can use all-purpose flour, too. It just might not rise to the shatteringly crispy level.
A quick pickle is made with thinly sliced red onions soaking in the liquid from jarred pickled jalapeños. That liquid serves a dual purpose, giving an added oomph to the cabbage and cilantro slaw's creamy mayo-sour cream dressing.
All this taco needs is a slice of perfectly ripe avocado and a wedge of zesty lime to make this San Diegan's Friday fish-fry dreams come true.
Pan-Fried Crispy Fish Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Slaw
Serves 4.
Mix up your Friday fish fry routine with a quick and easy pan-fried fish taco. Note: Rice flour helps to ensure an extra crispy coating for the fish, but you can also use all-purpose flour, if preferred. From Meredith Deeds.
- 1/4 c. pickled jalapeños, plus 1/4 c. of their pickling juice
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 c. thinly sliced red onions
- 1/4 c. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. sour cream
- 2 tbsp. lime juice
- 3 c. thinly sliced green cabbage
- 1/3 c. chopped cilantro
- 1 1/4 lb. skinless whitefish fillets, such as cod, haddock or halibut, cut crosswise into 4- by 1-in. strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 c. rice flour (see Note)
- Vegetable oil
- 12 (5- to 6-in.) flour tortillas, warmed
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
- Lime wedges
Directions
Pour the jalapeño pickling juice into a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Place the red onion in a colander and rinse under cold water for 1 minute. Add the red onion to the bowl with the pickling liquid and toss to coat. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes. Drain the onions and set aside, reserving pickling liquid.
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream with lime juice and 1 tablespoon of the pickling liquid. Add the cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat. Set aside.
Season the fish strips with salt and pepper. Place rice flour in a shallow dish and set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in the rice flour and fry until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes total. Don't crowd the pan. Work in two batches if necessary. Remove the fried fish from the oil and let it drain briefly on a paper towel-lined plate. Transfer to another plate to prevent the fish from getting soggy.
Divide fish evenly among tortillas. Top with pickled jalapeños and red onions, slaw and avocado. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredithdeeds@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @meredithdeeds.
