Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Mahi Mahi Tacos

Living in Southern California, Fish Taco's are served in almost every restaurant. When I first moved here I had not tried a fish taco, and quite frankly they sounded gross. Boy was I wrong! I am a huge huge fan of them now. People think "taco" and think Mexican food. These are not really served at mexican food restaurants here. They are served at fish restaurants and high end restaurants, and a lot of gourmet food trucks. If you can get "mexican food" out of your mind and think of fish and chips instead, then you are going to LOVE these as much as I do. This recipe is not for the healthiest version. I do have a gluten-free grilled fish taco recipe here, that is a lot healthier. This time, I was going for pure comfort food. This was voted by my family as the best fish taco's they have ever had. I am not trying to boast, but man did I nail it! I ate them two nights in a row and wish I could have them again tonight. They reheat well because the coating keeps the fish nice and moist. We were fortunate that the Farmers market had fresh wild caught Mahi Mahi. I knew immediately what I wanted to make because for me the best fish tacos are made with Mahi Mahi. So I got busy. Don't be discouraged by all the ingredients. It goes quickly and if you make the sauce and salsa ahead of time, it is a breeze to pull together in 20 minutes. I am sorry my pictures weren't better. I was missing my good camera and the lighting was awful. But I figure some pictures were better than no pictures!

Gluten-Free Mahi Mahi Tacos
1 pound mahi mahi (skinned, boned and cleaned) cut into 2-ounce strips
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chip crumbs 
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying
1/4 head cabbage, finely shredded
1 lime, cut into wedges
8 Corn Tortillas

Taco Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Siracha
1 Tablespoon La Victoria Taco Sauce (you choose: mild or medium heat)
1/4 lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Tomato-Radish Salsa:
1 tomato, diced
2 red radishes, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of one lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare the Taco Sauce and Tomato Salsa first
For the Taco Sauce, put the sour cream, mayonnaise, Siracha, Taco sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until mixed well. Season with salt and pepper if it needs more. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to use it. I make extra and keep it in the fridge for other uses. 
For the Tomato Radish Salsa; dice the tomato, radish, and onion into small cubes. Add Chili powder, Chopped Cilantro, Olive oil, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir gently until blended. Salt and pepper to taste. 
Taco Shells: Because I am frying the fish, I just wrapped my corn tortillas in foil and placed them in the oven at 325 degrees while I prepared the fish. This cuts down on extra fat. If you like them crispy, you can toast them over an open flame, or you can fry them. Your choice!

To Prepare the Fish: Add tortilla chips to a blender and process until they are rough panko crumb consistency. Add the parmesan cheese to the tortillas and stir to blend. This will be your crumb mixture. *note: a lot of stores sell "tortilla crumbs" as a gluten free option. I really really recommend you not use these. They taste gross. Get a bag of gluten free tortilla chips and process as I explained above. It makes all the difference!
Cut the fish into 2-ounce strips, about 1-inch wide and 4 inches long. Prepare a breading station of gluten-free flour, lightly beaten eggs, and another for the crumbs you previously made.  Season all with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces of fish in gluten-free flour, egg, and then tortilla mixture. Add Canola oil to a large skillet. When the oil reaches 375 degrees, add your breaded fish. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels. Keep warm until ready to serve.
To prepare the tacos, remove your shells from the oven,. We use two shells because these tacos are massive, and it helps hold all the ingredients together. 
Place two pieces of fish on top of your warm tortillas, and spread some of the taco sauce on top. 
Next you top with the shredded cabbage. 
Next top it with the tomato-radish salsa. Serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze onto your taco. I serve one wedge per taco. Now you are all ready to eat! Dig in! 

1 comment:

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