Baja Fish Tacos

My friend Stacey made the most delicious fish tacos last night so I decided to try them at home. Charlie jumped on board the Baja Project, and soon we had tilapia frying, mayonnaise coming together, and tortillas browning on the stove.  Fun!

If you wish to make these yourself you'll need a handful of recipes which, when put together, add up to a very tasty taco with a little kick.

First up is something that's delicious with a gazillion other things as well.  It's delicious on sandwiches, as a dipping sauce for fries, and used in chicken salad.  If you've never made mayonnaise you are in for a real treat.  Actually, you're in for a real treat either way.  :)  

Wasabi Aioli with Lime

ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon water

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 - 1 teaspoon wasabi powder (to taste)

Whisk together the salt, water, lime juice, and egg yolk. Starting with one drop and whisking vigorously, slowly add the vegetable oil. Continue whisking as you very slowly add more oil. It is important to add the oil slowly. If it is added too quickly the mayonnaise will break. Once you have added about half the oil and the aioli has begun to thicken, add the wasabi powder. Continue adding oil until it has all been incorporated and is thick and creamy. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

If you prefer, you can use store-bought mayonnaise. Simply mix the desired amount of wasabi powder and a few squirts of lime juice and mix. Also, Trader Joe's sells a wonderful pre-made wasabi mayonnaise. Homemade is fresher, tastes better, and contains no preservatives, but store-bought will do the trick.  But seriously, don't be afraid of this recipe!  Just be vigilant when whisking.

Now that you've got that down you're ready for beer-battered tilapia!  This too is delicious on it's own and very simple to make.  The beer batter can also be used to make onion rings.  Change the seasonings for a little variety.

Beer-Battered Tilapia (with Baja flair)

ingredients:

1/2 - 1 qt peanut oil (depending on size of stock pot or frier)

1 lb fresh tilapia

1 cup bread flour (all-purpose can be used also)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus extra for seasoning cooked fish)

1 cup beer 

Heat oil in a large stock pot (or deep frier if you have one) on medium-high heat until the surface begins to move rapidly or it reaches 325 degrees F.  You only need approximately 2 inches of oil to fry the fish in so adjust the amount depending on the size of your pot.  

Cut the tilapia into 2-inch strips taking care to cut against the grain.  (Cutting against the grain allows the fish to break apart easily when you're eating it thus guarding against a stringy bite.)

In a medium bowl mix together the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt.  Add the beer.  (You can use any beer you like.  I chose Dos Equis Amber because I like the flavor, and I knew I would drink the remaining bottles of beer.)  The beer will fizz when first added.  Stir until smooth and thoroughly combined.

The beer batter can rest for up to an hour before use.  Put several pieces of fish in the batter and turn to coat completely.  Once oil reaches the desired temperature drop in one piece of batter-covered fish to test.  If should immediately sizzle, float to the top, and turn golden brown within 1 minute.  Once you have determined that the oil is the correct temperature place 6 - 7 pieces of fish in the oil.  Do not crowd the pot.  Allow the fish to cook for approximately 2 minutes.  Remove from hot oil with tongs and allow to drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt.

Allow the oil to return to desired temperature and repeat the process with remaining pieces of fish.

Doesn't that look tasty?  Believe me.  It was. 

To make the tacos we had you'll also need homemade tortillas (which I have, conveniently, already blogged about).  Again, you can use store-bought tortillas, but where's the fun in that?

So, put it all together and here's what you get!

Baja Fish Tacos

ingredients:

8 - 10 homemade tortillas

1 batch beer-battered tilapia (with Baja flair)

wasabi aioli with lime

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

2 serrano chilis, chopped

lime wedges

Place a tortilla on a flat surface and fill with fish, tomatoes, cilantro, and chilis in desired amounts.  Drizzle with wasabi aioli and a squeeze of fresh lime.  Roll up and enjoy!

Charlie, rightly, suggested that these would also be tasty with a little chopped cabbage.  Maybe turned into a coleslaw with the wasabi aioli?  I may have to try this.

The photos aren't great but, seriously, this is yummy summertime food.  The tacos are especially good served with grilled corn on the cob, guacamole, and margaritas!  

Homemade tortillas

Last night I had some friends over for margaritas and Mexican food. Since I'm making a point to use my grill pan I decided to make fajitas! I love making fajitas mostly because it gives me an opportunity to make fresh tortillas. Also, I can dictate exactly what goes into my fajita while giving other people additional options. I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food so I leave out tons of things when I roll my own fajita and basically make myself a tasty wrap with chicken and veggies.
Charlie first suggested that we make our own tortillas after watching a You Tube video called 10 Minute Cooking School: Sin City Breakfast Tacos. Robert Rodriguez, the director of the movie Sin City, enjoys cooking so he began filming his own little cooking shows in between takes. This one is a lot of fun to watch, and he does a nice job of explaining how to make his grandmother's tortillas. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBgsLmDcL78

About a year ago we made the breakfast tacos as described in the video, and they were really good. I highly recommend giving them a shot. However, the best part of that video is the info on making your own tortillas. I've written out a basic recipe below with photos.

Tortillas

ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter (or lard) cut into small pieces
3/4 cup warm water

1. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter and mix with your hands until the butter is worked into the flour and evenly distributed. Add the warm water and stir until combined.



2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead by hand until the dough it is smooth and elastic.



3. Cut the dough into 8 to 10 golfball-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. You may need to add a little more flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface or your hands. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow to rest for 20 minutes.




4.Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Take one ball of dough and stretch it into a 6 inch disk, pulling from the inside. Place the disk on a well-floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 10-inch tortilla. It should be approximately 1/8 inch thick.



5. Cook the tortilla on the hot griddle, flipping it after 20 seconds. Cook until the tortilla stiffens and small brown spots begin to appear. Some of the tortillas may develop air pockets as they cook (this is fine).



6. Place warm tortillas in a cloth-lined basket and cover to keep warm while cooking the remaining tortillas.



Homemade tortillas are surprisingly easy to make, and they taste so much better than the kind you buy in the grocery store. They can be filled with any number of fresh ingredients to make fajitas, tacos, wraps, or quesadillas.