FRIDAY NIGHT SALSA PARTY AND THE BEST FISH TACOS
Fish tacos. They are quickly becoming my staple Friday supper and the sheer number I have consumed this year I'm surprised I haven't turned into one.
What started off as trying to chase the original mouthgasm hit from the best fish tacos I have had in a restaurant (Honolulu Hard Rock Café's mahi mahi version strangely enough) has turned into a bit of a weekly tradition. I just wish that somehow I could learn to to pre-empt it as every Friday I get home from work, one of us says 'fish tacos?', the other jumps for joy but then it means a trip to the market to pick up all the ingredients turning it into more of a midnight feast.
The good thing about making fish tacos is that it's fun and if you organise it correctly then you can get the whole family involved and it doesn't take too long. We have created the perfect tag team; the boy likes to season and cook the fish and make the wraps while I create the salsa, the guacamole and the other accoutrements - it's Friday night in your 30's; swapping the dance floor for side-stepping-toe-tapping around the kitchen and the cocktails for an ice cold bottle of
I hate coriander (cilantro). Loathe it. It is the devil's leaf and should never, EVER, be on a plate of food as far as I'm concerned. I have a sonar style radar for it, I can sense it from a mile away so in salsa I substitute fresh mint which I think works soooo much better, it brings refreshment and coolness to contrast the flames from the chillis.
When it comes to shells I don't discriminate, soft or crispy, they're both delicious and so long as the fish is fairly meaty and won't flake apart too much I don't stick to one kind, I leave it to fishmonger fate. Swordfish is good if you can get it - it's the closest to mahi mahi we're going to get on UK shores but tilapia, cod or salmon work too. If you're feeling a bit rebellious or craving a bit more edge then lobster or crayfish, or even fresh crab works amazingly.
Once you have all of your ingredients, pile them mountain high into the tortilla and cram into your mouth - turn it into a competition to see who can get the least (or the most) down their clothes (I definitely find dark clothing is best for tacos...) - this is the point at which an extra beer will either work in your favour or call it game over but it's fun finding out!
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to salsa!
FISH TACOS (serves 2 - can be easily doubled)
INGREDIENTS
4 small (or 2 large) tortilla wraps
1tbsp flavourless cooking oil
1tbsp flavourless cooking oil
200g fish chopped into large chunks
1tbsp fajita spice mix (recipe below)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
Raw red cabbage, sliced thinly
Iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
Iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
Guacamole (recipe below)
Salsa (recipe below)
Limes
Optional:
Limes
Optional:
50g grated cheese
Small pot of sour cream
METHOD
Put spice mix into a bowl and add the fish, turning to coat
Put spice mix into a bowl and add the fish, turning to coat
Preheat your oven to 190ºC - use it to either warm your tortilla wraps on a plate covered over with foil or drape individual wraps over two oven shelf bars if you want hard shell tacos for 8 - 10 minutes
Heat a large frying pan/skillet/wok with the oil and add the peppers, cooking for approximately 3 minutes
Add the fish to the pan and cook until just done turning the contents of the pan over gently to avoid breaking the fish up too much
Transfer contents to a bowl or serve the pan at the table with the taco shells
Serve with sides so everyone can dig in and build their own tacos wedges of lime
FAJITA SPICE MIX (makes a jar to keep)
INGREDIENTS
2tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2tsp chilli powder
2tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
METHOD
Add all the spices to a bowl and mix. Transfer to an air tight jar and store ready for use.
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GUACAMOLE
INGREDIENTS
1 ripe avocado
1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
1/2 red birds eye chilli, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch salt
METHOD
Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mash together with a fork.
Transfer to ramekin
*tip* Once in the ramekin, cover with clingfilm and ensure that the guacamole is in full contact with the clingfilm to keep it from going brown
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SALSA
INGREDIENTS
200g tomatoes, washed, de-seeded and chopped finely
1/2 small red onion, chopped finely
1/2 birds eye chilli, chopped finely
handful fresh mint, chopped finely
1/4 tsp garlic powder
METHOD
Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly
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