Baja Fish Taco with Southwestern Chipotle Slaw

Taco Tuesdays has legit become a thing. My Instagram is filled with hashtags and tacos and chips and margaritas every Tuesday. I am constantly craving them and having FOMO. Not this past Tuesday though!! Chris and I decided to have a date night at home and I made these awesome fish tacos. There are a few steps and I did little over the course of a day- so don't feel overwhelmed to do it all at once. The slaw can be made the night before. But once it's done- it's SO worth it!! Chris said it was even better than my old restaurant, Mamasa's fish taco. Impossible! 

Baja Fish Tacos with Southwestern Chipotle Slaw

Slaw:

3 cups of red/purple cabbage, thinly julienned 

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels, cooked, cooled and cut off the cob 

1/2 cup red pepper, small dice

1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded

1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

2 tbs cilantro, minced 

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper to taste 

Slaw Dressing:

1 cup (8 oz) of sour cream 

1 1/2 tbs of adobo sauce from chipotle can (add actually chipotles, minced if you like heat) 

2 tbs cilantro, minced 

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime (approx 2 tsp) 

1/4 tsp cumin powder 

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper to taste 

Fish:

2- 3 large filets of tilapia or solid white fish, cut into strips (easily fit in your choice of tortilla side)- 

6 tortillas 

1/2 cup flour 

1tbs Cajun seasoning

2 eggs, whisked 

1 1/4 cups plain Panko breadcrumbs 

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Juice of 1 lemon 

1 avocado, sliced for serving 

Lime slices for serving 

5 tbs of canola oil 

Tools: 

Frying pan 

Spatula or tongs

Large mixing bowl 

Small mixing bowl

3 plates or shallow wide bowls

Salad serving spoon/tongs

Whisk

Measuring cups/spoons 

Cutting board 

Chopping knife 

For the slaw: In a large bowl mix together all ingredients listed under slaw. Combine well.

For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients listed under dressing. Set aside to dress the slaw before serving if you like a crisp slaw or an hour before serving if you prefer it a little softer. I prefer mine crisp. You do not need to use all the dressing if you don't want to. 

For the Baja fish: In the first shallow bowl add flour and Cajun spice. Mix well. In second shallow bowl add the whisked eggs. In third shallow bowl add the Panko breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. This will be your order for breading the fish. 

Squeeze half of the lemon onto the fish strips. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Take each strip and dredge them in the flour mixture, then dip them in the eggs and finally coat them in the Panko breadcrumbs. Put on a plate until ready to fry. 

Heat the canola oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the breaded fish strips to the pan. Be sure to not overcrowd it, as that brings the oil temperature down. Depending on your pan size, you may need to fry in batches. It takes about 2-3 minutes per side for thicker pieces and 1-2 minutes per side for thinner ones. If they are browning too fast, turn down the heat to medium/low. 

Remove fish from frying pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb extra oil. 

Serve tacos by placing the tortilla on the plate, add the fish strips on top, then the southwestern chipotle slaw with a couple strips of avocado and lime slices on the side. Omg so good! I want another one right now. Enjoy them!! Xo

Panko Crusted Fish with Corn and Scallion Sauce

My awesome cousin/brother/friend/dude Jason Keen first made this dish during our families yearly trip to the Outer Banks. Don't tell anyone but I used to not like seafood that much. It wasn't until my early 20s that I finally decided to eat and try everything...and who'd have thunk it, but I now love and eat everything, seafood included. But this dish is by far one of my favorite fish dishes. It's simple yet completely satisfying in a feel good sorta way.

It's one of those dishes that bring back all those vacation memories for me. I miss those trips. And Dad I love you dearly but if you don't figure out a beach house for next year- the sisters and I are going down to North Carolina to meet our crazy Fijian relatives without you. Plus it will be so nice for Jason to cook this for me. It's like a sandwich- always tastes better when someone else makes it for you. 

Have I ranted on enough? Geez. Just make this fish dish. Trust me. It's scrumptious. 

Panko Crusted Fish with Corn and Scallion Sauce 

Fridge:

4 fillets of tilapia, or your white fish of choice

2 eggs 

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup of scallions, thinly chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan 

1/2 tbs butter 

Counter:

1/2 medium yellow onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced 

2 ears of corn, cooked and kernels cut off the cob*

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

Pantry:

1 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs 

1/2 cup of ap flour 

1/4 tsp salt plus more for seasoning fillets and the breading 

Few cracks of black pepper 

Few drops of hot sauce (optional)

Few tablespoons of olive oil 

Tools:

1 medium sauce pan 

1 large nonstick sauté pan 

Fish spatula or regular spatula 

2 plates

1 wide bowl 

Fork or whisk 

Measuring cups/spoons 

Tongs for breading if you don't want to use hands (I always use my hands) 

Plate lined with paper towels 

Melt the butter over medium to low heat in the saucepan. Once melted add the onions and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes. Once they have softened, add the corn kernels and the heavy cream. Allow this to simmer for 15 minutes until the cream begins to reduce and thicken. Then add the scallions, 1/4 tsp of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. At this point you can add the hotsauce if you're using it. Simmer for another few minutes and turn off the heat. Set aside while you cook the fish.

To bread the fish: on one plate add the flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well. On the other plate, add the panko breadcrumbs and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well.

In the wide mouthed bowl, add the 2 eggs and  whisk with a little salt and pepper. I know it seems like a lot of seasoning but it's worth it. 

Squeeze half of the lemon over the fish fillets and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. First place the fillet in the flour and cover well. Making sure to shake off the excess flour, transfer it to the egg bowl. Cover with the egg mixture and then allow excess to drip off into the bowl. Place the fillet into the panko breadcrumbs and cover completely, allowing breadcrumbs to stick all over the  fish. Continue this process with each fish fillet before cooking. 

Preheat the sauté pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium to high heat. Once it's hot, add the breaded fish fillets. Cook for 2-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fillet. Once cooked, remove from pan and place on paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool for a minute before serving with the corn and scallion sauce. 

I served mine with grilled asparagus- a light accompaniment is good with the heavier sauce. Enjoy this! Pura vida! Xo

*To easily cook the corn: leave it in it's husk and microwave for 3 minutes per husk. Chop off the bottom end of the corn while still warm and push the corn out. Great time saver.