Baja Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

• 600 g cod fillet, cut into finger-length strips
• 120 g wheat flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1¾ dl beer, straight from the fridge
• 8 dl vegetable oil, for frying
• 300 g white cabbage, shredded as fine as you can
• 2 lime, one juiced and one cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp mexican crema
• 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
• 8 wheat tortilla
• 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt to taste

Method

1. 1.

   Whip up the chipotle crema — Stir the mayonnaise, mexican crema, chopped chipotle and a teaspoon of the lime juice together until smooth and the colour of terracotta. Season with salt and keep it in the fridge.

2. 2.

   Wilt the cabbage in lime — Toss the shredded cabbage with the rest of the lime juice and a good pinch of salt and leave it for 15 minutes. It should wilt just enough to lose its squeak but still snap between your teeth.

3. 3.

   Mix the beer batter — Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder and a teaspoon of salt in a bowl, then pour in the fridge-cold beer and whisk to a batter the thickness of single cream. Rest it for 10 minutes while the oil heats.

4. 4.

   Fry the fish in batches — Heat 4 cm of oil in a deep heavy pan to 180C. Pat the fish dry, dip each strip in the batter and let the excess run off, then lower it away from you into the oil. Fry in batches of three or four for 3-4 minutes, until the crust is blistered, pale gold and rigid. Drain on a rack and salt at once.

5. 5.

   Griddle the tortillas — Warm the tortillas in a dry pan over high heat, about 20 seconds a side, until they are pliable and speckled brown. Stack them under a cloth so they steam and stay soft.

6. 6.

   Assemble the tacos — Build each taco fast, while the fish is still crackling: a smear of chipotle crema, a nest of lime cabbage, two pieces of fish, another zigzag of crema, plenty of cilantro and a lime wedge to squeeze at the table.