Kasey Wilson: Making food memories with Baja fish tacos

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I took my first trip to L.A. from Winnipeg many moons ago to visit my friends Birgit and Richard.

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There were so many highlights on that first trip: Arriving at the “Jet Age” LAX where palm trees lined the pickup area; dining with Mad men and women at a cool steak house; checking out hamburger stands and crossing the border into Tijuana for my first taste of fish tacos.

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This all came back to me when I came across Jennifer Segal’s recipe for fish tacos in Once Upon a Chef, the Cookbook. She had stumbled upon a Mexican restaurant in La Jolla years earlier where the fish tacos “were out of this world” and set out to recreate them. Her version is made with crispy beer-battered cod tucked into corn tortillas, a cabbage slaw and chipotle sauce.

This memory led to another: Sole fingers with a crunchy cornmeal coating and served with a green herb sauce.

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Baja Fish Tacos

For the cabbage slaw:

5 cups (or one 10-ounce bag) shredded red cabbage

3 tbsp (50 mL) minced red onion

½ cup (125 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp (50 mL) cider vinegar

1½ tsp (7 mL) vegetable oil

½ tsp (5 mL) salt

For the chipotle sauce:

¾ cup (50 mL) mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s

2 tbsp (25 mL) fresh lime juice

3 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (canned), roughly chopped, plus 1-2 tsp sauce (see note below)

1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped

For the beer batter:

1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

½ tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper

1 cup (250 mL) beer, preferably a pale lager

For the fish and tortillas:

1 ½ pounds (680 g) skinless cod, cut into 1-inch-wide x 4-inch-long strips

Vegetable oil, for frying

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12 6-inch (15 cm) soft corn tortillas, warmed

Lime wedges, for serving

Toss the cabbage, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, oil and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the mayonnaise, lime juice, chipotle chilies with sauce and garlic in a blender or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Gradually add the beer, whisking until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of ½-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F, or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when dipped into the oil.

Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, dip the fish strips in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Let excess batter drip off, then fry the fish in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

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Smear each tortilla with a generous amount of the chipotle sauce, then top with the cabbage slaw. Arrange the fish on each tortilla, dividing it evenly, and serve with lime wedges.

Note: Three chipotle peppers and 2 tsp sauce will give you a spicy sauce. Use less for a milder sauce. You can freeze any leftover chipotle peppers from the can.

Serves 4

Sole Fingers with Green Herb Sauce

Green herb sauce:

1 cup (250 mL) roughly chopped dill

1 cup (250 mL) roughly chopped parsley

1 cup (250 mL) roughly chopped watercress

1/2 cup (125 mL) roughly chopped tarragon

2 tbsp (25 mL) capers

2 tbsp (25 mL) Dijon mustard

2 cups (500 mL) mayonnaise

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (125 mL) water

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Seasoned cornmeal:

2 cups (500 mL) yellow cornmeal

2 tbsp (25 mL) Kosher salt

1/4 tsp (5 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Sole:

Oil for frying

4 boneless skinless filets of sole, each cut in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips (I purchase them from Longliner Seafoods on Granville Island.)

1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk (you can freeze leftover buttermilk up to 3 months)

For green herb sauce:

Wash and pat dry all fresh herbs. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and purée. Strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For seasoned cornmeal:                                                                          

Combine all ingredients in a wide medium dish, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the sole: 

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Pour oil into a deep medium pot to a depth of 1-inch and heat over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Meanwhile, put buttermilk into a wide bowl; add fish, mixing until well coated for about 2 to 3 minutes and set aside.

Thoroughly dredge 1 piece of fish at a time in seasoned cornmeal, shaking off excess. Deep-fry several pieces of breaded fish one at a time in the hot oil, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2 1⁄2–3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Serve the sole with green herb sauce on the side.

Serves 4

Kitchen Hack: Non-Stick Fish on a Grill

Place lemon slices on a hot grill, close enough together that you can lay the fish on them without touching the grate. This adds a citrusy barrier so the fish won’t stick, and you’ll get some extra flavour as well. Just make sure the slices are evenly cut and spaced. It also allows you to easily flip your fish.