Today’s foodie theme is a Superbowl Challenge! I decided to come up with two savory and two sweet things that symbolize the (Northeast) New England Patriots and the (So Cal) Los Angeles Rams. Thiis wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be because … well, evidently I know very little about what is “typical” food in LA. For the “savory component for The Southern Left Coast, I decided to go with Fish Tacos with Quick Pickled Toppings, Cabbage, Avocado and Cilantro. Yummy but a total pain in the neck to eat!
Ingredients
For the pickled toppings
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 jalapeño chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
3 radishes, sliced very thinly
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
for the cabbage
3 cups shredded green or red (or both) cabbage
1/4 cup pickling liquid from pickled toppings
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
for the fish
2 pounds skinless whitefish fillets, such as cod, haddock, or halibut, cut crosswise into 4 by 1-inch strips
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup beer
1 quart peanut or vegetable oil
to put it all together
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 avocado, peeled and cut to slices
lime wedges, optional
Directions
For the pickled toppings: Combine onion, jalapeño chili and radishes in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and salt to boil in small saucepan. Pour vinegar mixture over onion mixture and let sit for at least 30 minutes. (Pickled toppings can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.)
For the cabbage, toss all ingredients together in bowl.
For the fish, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200F. Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add beer and whisk until smooth. Transfer fish to batter and toss until evenly coated.
Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 inch deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350F. Working with 4 to 5 pieces at a time, remove fish from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil, briefly dragging fish along surface of oil to prevent sticking. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350F. Fry fish, stirring gently to prevent pieces from sticking together, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer fish to prepared wire rack and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350F and repeat with remaining fish.
Divide fish evenly among tortillas. Top with pickled onions, cabbage, avocado, and cilantro. Serve, with lime wedges (optional).
