Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Beer Battered Fish Tacos


A few weeks ago, just days before we left for a beach vacation, I had a hankering for fish tacos.  The problem arose when I couldn't decide whether to go light with grilled fish, or go all out and do beer-battered fried fish tacos.  I shared my conundrum both on Twitter and with Joey, and the resounding response was for beer-battered.  So I essentially had no choice in the matter.

I've had this recipe saved for almost a year, so I was excited to try out the IPA batter.  IPA is probably my favorite type of beer, and I have missed it terribly throughout this pregnancy.  I used Sweetwater IPA, which is from a local Atlanta brewery that we love to support.  Their IPA has a distinct grapefruit taste, and I thought the citrus would pair wonderfully with the tacos.  The batter was crisp yet still light, and the fish was perfectly cooked.

As far as the toppings go, I did my own thing and came up with a mango salsa and avocado crema.  Both complemented the fish well, and the avocado crema was especially tasty as a dip for the leftover fish.  I actually set out to fry my own shells for these, but decided at the last minute that frying the fish was enough for me this time.  But I think the crispy shells would have been great as well.

I try to cook healthy meals more often than not, so something like this is most definitely a rare treat versus a weekly indulgence, but we certainly enjoyed it.  And who knows, maybe it will make another appearance this summer...


Beer Battered Fish Tacos


For the Fish:
  • 1 lb firm white fish (cod, haddock, halibut, etc)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup beer, preferably IPA
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • vegetable oil, for frying
Mango Salsa
  • 2 mangos, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced
  • 2 T diced red onion
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/8 tsp chili powder
  • 2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste
Avocado Crema
  • 1 avocado, pitted 
  • 1-2 Tbs plain yogurt
  • 1 Tbs sour cream
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • hot sauce to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste
To Serve:
  • taco shells, hard or soft
  • lime wedges
  • hot sauce
 Combine 1 cup of the flour, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the beer, whisk to combine, and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow the yeasts to develop.

Meanwhile, pat the fish dry, season with salt and pepper, and cut into 1-inch cubes.  Toss with the remaining 1/2 cup flour.


To prepare the mango salsa, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Taste and season with more salt, lime, or hot sauce if necessary.


For the avocado crema, use a fork to mash the avocado in a medium bowl.  Add the yogurt, sour cream, hot sauce, and lime, and continue mashing to form a smooth sauce.  Add more yogurt or sour cream to achieve your desired consistency, and season with salt and hot sauce.


To fry the fish, heat 1/2-inch oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees.  Working in batches, shake off the excess flour from the fish, then coat with the beer batter.  Being careful not to overcrowd the pan, fry in the hot oil 3-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.  You may need to test a few in the first batch to get the time right.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, and repeat with remaining fish.


To assemble, warm the tortillas and fill with fish.  Drizzle with avocado crema and top with mango salsa.  Serve with lime wedges and additional hot sauce if desired.


Source:  Beer-battered fish from Tide and Thyme, mango salsa and avocado crema Pink Parsley originals


16 comments:

Jenn Williams said...

Yay Josie! Another female who loves IPA?!? (I find them few and far between!) And what can be better than a recipe for fish tacos made with Sweetwater IPA? I'm definitely putting THIS recipe in the menu rotation for next week! Thanks! :-)

jenna said...

these tacos look amazing! i love beer battered fishe. :)

Unknown said...

I so wish I had the ingredients on hand to make this tonight - it looks so summery!

Jen said...

yum! I love fish tacos. became addicted to them in Cabo. Need to go back to eat some more and wash down with a cold, cold dos eqis.

Sunny said...

This recipe looks delicious! I can't wait to give it a try :)

Anonymous said...

Cool recipe!

Made in Sonoma said...

That IPA sounds delicious. I don't think I've ever had an IPA that could be described as a grape fruit flavor -- I'm intrigued!

Mary @Delightful Bitefuls said...

Okay.... YUM x 100! These look GREAT!

Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls

Valerie said...

Those look great. I have been looking for a fish taco recipe so this is great!

Lindsay@Pinchofyum said...

OMG. To. die. for! Your blog singlehandedly inspires my menu plans each week! I am still planning to make those spinach burgers of yours later this week!

Kristie said...

I made these tonight for my mother and they were great. I used tilapia but the fish held together well and came out nice and crispy. The avocado crema leftover i will probably use as a sandwich spread, very tasty. It took me a while to make, but that was mostly because i'm really slow at chopping, and peeling mangos. Definitely worth it!

Josie said...

Kristie, I'm glad you liked them! Yeah, it isn't the fastest recipe out there, but I'm glad the work was worth it for you!

mestorey said...

Hi Josie,

I was wondering if it would be possible to feature your recipe on CraftBeer.com? CraftBeer.com is published by the Brewers Association and aims to elevate the status of craft beer and educate beer enthusiasts on the awesome things craft beer can bring to food.

I would create a post similar to this one: http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/beer-and-food/recipes/recipes-list/show?title=garlic-salted-beer-baked-french-fries and include your bio/photo/link to your blog.

Please let me know if this would be alright or if you have any questions.

Cheers,

Meghan Storey
Web Editor
Brewers Association

Josie said...

Hi Meghan,
Sure, as long as proper credit is given, feel free to use the post!
Josie

Anonymous said...

WOW - we just finished eating this incredible meal! I couldn't find any mangos so used pineapple instead and also added some tomatoes in addition to all your ingredients. We also added a bit of peri peri hot sauce to give it a South African flare. We couldn't stop mmmming the entire meal and ate way way too much! LOVED these.

cookeatdelicious said...

I love the avocado crema! I will definitely have to try it with my next beer battered fish taco recipe! Thanks

http://www.cookeatdelicious.com/sauce-recipes/beer-battered-fish-tacos-with-a-spicy-cilantro-cream-sauce-recipe.html

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