Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

By MooK

Ingredients

• For the spicy tartar sauce:
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbs. minced pickled jalapeño
• 2 Tbs. dill pickle relish
• 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. yellow American mustard
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• For the fish:
• 2 About 2 qt. vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup beer
• 2 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
• 1 lb. firm fillets of mild, white fish (such as bass, cod, or haddock), cut into strips about 4-1/2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide, or 1 lb. frozen batter-fried fish fillets
• For the Pico de Gallo:
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 fresh serrano or jalapeño chiles, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
• 1-1/2 ripe medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For serving:
• 12 to 16 corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches wide), warmed
• 1-1/2 cups finely shredded green or purple cabbage (about 1/2 small head)
• 2 limes, quartered

Preparation

Step 1

For the Pico de Gallo:

Put the onion, cilantro, and chiles in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the tomatoes. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the taco recipe of your choice.

Make the sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl; refrigerate for up to 5 days.

If using fresh fish: Fill a large, deep, heavy pot with vegetable oil to about 11/4 inches deep. Heat the oil to about 350°F. (To check the oil temperature, use a deep-fry thermometer, or add a cube of bread to the oil, which should bubble immediately.)

Meanwhile, prepare the batter: Mix the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and stir in the beer until smooth. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

Season the fish with salt. To cook the fish, work in batches of about three or four pieces at a time. Using kitchen tongs, dip each piece in the batter, let any excess drain off, carefully submerge the fish in the hot oil, and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

If using frozen batter-fried fish fillets: Bake them according to the package instructions.

To serve: Just after the fish comes out of the fryer (or oven), arrange in a heated dish on the table. Next to it set the tartar sauce, hot tortillas, shredded cabbage, lime quarters, and pico de gallo so each person can assemble his or her own tacos.