Tacos de Pescado

Ingredients

• 15¾ ozwhite fish filletskinless, e.g. cod, mahi mahi, halibut or tilapia; pat dry, cut into strips
• 12tortillascorn or flour tortillas, warmed
• 3½ ozall-purpose flourfor the beer batter
• ¾ cuplager beerMexican lager, for the batter; add a little more if needed
• 1 tspbaking powderfor the batter
• 1 tspchili powderfor the batter
• 1 tspcuminfor the batter or spice rub
• 1 tspgarlic powderfor batter or spice rub and sauce
• 1 tsponion powderfor the spice rub when pan-frying (optional)
• 1 tspsaltfor fish, batter and sauce
• black pepperfreshly ground, to taste
• 3⅛ cupsoilfor deep-frying; 1 tbsp is enough for pan-frying
• ¾ cupmayonnaisebase of the chipotle sauce, some for the slaw
• ½ cupGreek yogurtinstead of or alongside mayonnaise for the sauce (optional)
• 1chipotles in adobofor the sauce, optionally with a little adobo sauce
• 2limejuice for sauce and slaw, wedges for serving
• 7 ozcabbagefinely shredded; lettuce as a substitute
• 1 bunchcilantrochopped
• 4radishesthinly sliced, as topping (optional)

Method

1. Make the slawFor the slaw, toss the finely shredded green cabbage with the chopped cilantro, a little mayonnaise, lime juice and salt until everything is well coated, then chill it so it stays nice and crisp.
2. Blend the chipotle sauceFor the chipotle sauce, blend the mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt) with the chipotle pepper in adobo, a splash of adobo sauce if you like, lime juice, garlic powder and salt until smooth, then keep it in the fridge until serving.
3. Prepare the fishPat the white fish fillet thoroughly dry, season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cut it into strips about 1 × 3 inches (2.5 × 8 cm).
4. Heat the frying oilHeat the vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350–355°F (175–355 °F); a thermometer really helps here, so the batter turns crisp instead of soaking up oil.
5. Mix the beer batterFor the beer batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder, then stir in the lager until you have a smooth, thick batter; if it feels too stiff, add a little more beer.
6. Fry the fishDrag the fish strips through the batter one at a time, let the excess drip off, and fry them in small batches in the hot oil until golden brown, so the oil temperature doesn't drop too much.
7. Drain the fried fishLift the fried fish out and let it drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
8. Warm the tortillasWarm the tortillas in a dry skillet, in the oven or in the microwave until they're soft and pliable.
9. Assemble and serveSpread the tortillas with chipotle sauce, top with the fish and slaw, scatter over some cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Tips and variations

If you'd rather not deep-fry, season the fish with cumin, onion powder and garlic powder, pan-fry it in just a little oil (coconut oil works nicely too) and then flake it apart. Swapping Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise makes the sauce lighter and fresher. Instead of the slaw, try curtido: cabbage, onion and jalapeño pickled in vinegar and water with oregano. For serving, put everything in the middle of the table and let everyone build their own; thinly sliced radishes and a little lettuce as extra toppings bring freshness and crunch.