Fish tacos
A taco needs a firm white fish that holds in big flakes under a spice crust, so ask the counter for hake or pollock loin and we skin it and cut it into strips free. The build is a system, hot crusted fish, cold sharp slaw and a lime crema, so every bite has heat, crunch and acidity in the same mouthful.
Ingredients
- 500g skinless hake or pollock loin (ask the counter to skin and cut into strips, free)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 small corn or flour tortillas
- quarter of a red cabbage, shredded fine
- 1 carrot, grated
- juice of 3 limes
- 3 tbsp soured cream
- a handful of coriander, chopped
- 1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
- hot sauce and lime wedges to serve
- sea salt
Method
- Pickle the onion first. Toss the slices with the juice of 1 lime and a pinch of salt and leave while you cook, they will turn pink and tangy.
- Make the slaw. Toss the cabbage, carrot and half the coriander with the juice of 1 lime and salt, and leave 10 minutes to soften but keep its snap.
- Stir the last lime juice into the soured cream with a pinch of salt for the crema.
- Pat the fish very dry, then toss with the paprika, cumin, oregano, oil and salt until every strip is coated.
- Heat a heavy pan until properly hot. Lay the strips in and leave 2 minutes so a crust forms, then turn once and give them 1 to 2 minutes more until just opaque in big flakes.
- Char the tortillas directly over the flame or in a dry pan, 20 seconds a side, and keep them warm in a folded cloth.
- Build at the table. Fish first, slaw on top, crema and pickled onion over, coriander and hot sauce last.
To serve: Serve everything in separate bowls and let the table build their own, two tacos each. To drink, a cold lager with lime or a margarita.
Shop this recipe: hake and what is on the counter today. Skinned and cut at the counter, free.
