I love tacos. I love fusion food. Of course I would make fish tacos with an Asian flair.
I do love the traditionalists as well: the street-side al pastor, tinga, carnitas, even- yes, the lengua (for those of you opposed to tongue, I promise it’s the tasty delicacy that… tastes back? Ha! No, wait. That’s not going to convince you to try it at all…)- but I will be completely honest with you, if I wanted a life altering al pastor I would just go to my local taco shop and order some up. Some things just are just… better when you’ve made an art of it? (see also: why I don’t bother making sushi at home)
(Editors Note: Definitely throw this in my face when I inevitably do attempt an al pastor taco at home and spend months trying to perfect it. You know it’s going to happen eventually…)
Sriracha, hoisin, mango, avocado… it’s the Baja fish taco, sort of… Hawaiianized? Hawaiian cuisine is delightfully intermingled with Asian influences, especially Japanese (see also: spam musubi, be still my beating heart! Errr… stomach. Love it.) so I’m going to go with that story and stick to it- these do taste like Hawaii to me.
In the place of a traditional pico de gallo, I’ve used mango instead. Everyone seems to love mango on a fish taco, they just pair so well together! Freshness and crunch from some thinly sliced sui choy and cilantro, creamy richness from a perfectly ripe avocado, all topped off with the big money-maker… the drizzle.
When I originally came up with this recipe I used mayo in place of plain yogurt for the drizzle. I have since switched out plain yogurt because uh… health and stuff (I do co-run a food blog, it means a lot of eating) (a lot)… but mayonnaise provides a richer and creamier drizzle. Rich and creamy with mayo vs. a little lighter and tangier with yogurt- it’s your call on this one. I often do half and half if I’m feeling… saucy (sorry, pun! I’m turning into Horatio from CSI Miami over here, yeeesh).
| Beer Battered Fish Tacos with Mango, Avocado & Sriracha-Hoisin Drizzle | Print |
- 200 g firm white fish (I use tilapia)
- 1.5 cup beer
- 2 cups flour
- Salt and pepper
- Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
- .
- Sriracha-Hoisin Drizzle:
- ½ cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sriracha (or to taste)
- 1.5 tsp hoisin sauce
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- .
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup sui choy or savoy cabbage, chopped into strips
- 1 small bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 6-10 small flour tortillas
- In a small bowl, mix together the drizzle ingredients, adjusting as needed to suit your own tastes and heat levels. Set aside.
- Prep all the toppings: mango, avocado, cabbage and cilantro. Set aside.
- Slice fish into 1-2 inch pieces. In a medium bowl mix 1 cup of flour with some salt and pepper and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the second cup of flour with the beer and mix until just incorporated.
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a shallow pan and prep your fish station: 1 bowl seasoned flour, 1 bowl batter, 1 platter fish pieces, 1 large plate covered in paper towel and/or cooling racks (for when the fish is cooked). Dredge a piece of fish in the flour then the batter then gently place it in the heated oil. If the oil is up to temperature, it should start sizzling right away but if you find the oil browns the fish too quickly, turn the heat down a bit.
- Using tongs, flip the pieces of frying fish until they are golden brown on each side then place on the paper towel/cooling racks. Repeat until all pieces of fish are cooked- make sure not to fry too many pieces at once as they will stick together and cool the oil down too much.
- Serve the fish hot, wrapped in a small tortilla with mango, avocado, cabbage, cilantro and a healthy drizzle of sriracha-hoisin sauce!
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