So as we struggled along the footpaths of Elizabeth St with trams looming suddenly out of the heat haze and buzzards hovering overhead*, we thought to ourselves : what kind of food could we have that was fresh, healthy, flavoursome, summery and would not unnnecessarily heat up the flat with cooking?
*That has actually happened to me once, in California as it happens. At least I think they were buzzards, but they were a long way up and I'm no buzzardologist. I could be wrong.
Fish tacos, so I read, are a regional specialty of Baja, California. Leaving aside the fact that someone in pre-European mezoamerica almost certainly put some fish into some tortillas, the recorded history of the dish only appears to extend over the last fifty years or so. The contents of the dish bear out the idea that that this is a Cal-Mex hybrid rather than a traditional dish too - mayonnaise, batter and wombok being not so much part of the authentic Mexican heritage.
Does the history matter? A little, in that this is not your average taco, and when you are cooking it, or making variations to the recipe to suit your own tastes, understanding where a dish comes from helps to understand the different places that it can go without getting lost. If you'll excuse me a fairly tortured analogy.
And there are lots of variations. There are only four constants to a fish taco -
- a tortilla
- some fish
- cabbage
- salsa
- creamy dressing
Five. There are only five constants to a fish taco, but within those five things there are a lot of ways to have fun.
The tortilla is straightforward. There may be some Australians still out there who think a taco must be made with a crisp-fried corn tortilla, but that's because of the baleful influence of a couple of large chains of Australianised Tex-Mex food that have a lock on the market. I mean, sure, we all enjoy a fishbowl margarita the size of our own head from time to time, but there's a lot of Mexican food outside deep-fried tacos, burritos and fajitas. Anyway, this dish uses soft tortillas.
The fish is traditionally cut into long strips, battered and deep fried, but grilled is an accepted variation. Grilling then flaking happens in some recipes (sounds a bit heretical to me). Some recipes marinate the fish first, especially when grilling. The marinades can be mild and citrussy, they can be spicy, they can be herby.
We chose a compromise, coating the fish in cornmeal for a crispy crust and then pan frying. We marinated it too with some lime and mild spices, but the flavour of the marinade was completely lost in the salsa. So unless you are going to serve with very mild salsa or marinade in something very spicy, it's probably not worthwhile.
Which fish? Especially if grilling, something firm is desirable. We used flake fillets - despite its name, not flaky at all. For anyone not from Melbourne, flake is our local name for dogfish or gummy shark.
The Cabbage - sources are pretty unanimous that instead of lettuce, fish tacos need to be made with Napa cabbage. "But we're nowhere near the Napa valley. How will we get Napa cabbage?" I hear you say. Despair not - Napa Cabbage is the American term for brassica rapa pekinensis, which the rest of the world knows as wombok or Chinese cabbage.
The Salsa - a wide range of salsas are served with fish tacos. Some herby, some hot, some mild, some cooked, some raw. Have a think about your favourite salsa and give it a try. If you're not feeling creative, a pico de gallo would be fine or you could use the basic avocado salsa we did.
The Creamy Dressing - sometimes mayonnaise, sometimes sour cream, sometimes a blend of the two or even yoghurt. We used what we had to hand - 50/50 mayonnaise and sour cream. Truth to tell I found the mayonnaise a bit rich and greasy even though we used it quite sparingly. Next time it will be just sour cream.
Fish tacos (serves four)
1 dozen large tortillas
500g firm white fish fillet
1 beaten egg
1 cup medium or coarse cornmeal (polenta)
2 cups Napa cabbage (wombok), finely shredded
Marinade -
Juice of 2 limes (or 2 tbsp bottled lime juice), mild paprika, ground coriander seed, garlic powder
Salsa -
2 avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped - the type doesn't matter but I prefer them to be slightly firm so that you get a salsa not a mash
3 medium tomatoes, cored and small (5 - 7mm) diced
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
Juice of two more limes (or bottled)
1 red chili or pickled jalapeno chili, finely chopped
Dressing -
1/4 cup each mayonnaise and sour cream or yoghurt, mixed together
Yet more fresh lime juice (it's more important for it to be fresh this time) and coriander to garnish
Slice fish into a dozen batons and marinate in the marinade for about 15 minutes. Don't be too lavish with the lime here as you want it all to soak in, not to be slushy.
Combine avocado, red onion, tomato, lime juice and chili into salsa.
Check your mise. It should look about like this (cow optional). If you haven't chopped the cabbage, or mixed the dressing together, or rinsed the garnish, now's the right time.
Dip the fish in the egg wash and then the cornmeal.
Deep-fry (about 2-3 minutes), pan fry (about 2-3 minutes each side) or (if you're watching points, or don't want to get pan splatter all over the splashback) spray with some vegetable oil and cook in a hot (220 C) oven for about 8 minutes.
Warm your tortillas (we use the microwave).
Put a little bit of everything into the tortilla, give a tiny sprinkle of fresh lime and a sprig of coriander. Extra hot sauce if you like.
Wrap around and serve. I like to fold the bottom up to avoid spillage.
Enjoy with the beverage of your choice suitable to a hot summer's night. Beer and tequila chasers would be nice; a white wine sangria perhaps (not sure if that's a properly sangria now that I think about it, but you know what I mean). Or, if you're willing to go across from Baja to the Caribbean, try a mojito.
What's that you say, where's the mint? You have to have mint? We made it with a homemade mint syrup, which is just 2/3 of a bunch of mint, washed and stripped off the stems, simmered in 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup (1:1 white sugar dissolved in water) for about 20 minutes than strained and bottled and kept in the 'fridge.
We made that about two months ago with the leftover mint from the duck agrodolce. But that's another story, which I'll post .... real soon. I promise.
And using mint syrup gives almost exactly the flavour without all that pesky muddling and needing fresh herbs. And you can use it in juleps, too. What's that you say, it's still cheating? Okay then, we'll call it a mocheato.
Dos cervesas, por favor!
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