Fish Tacos

[Lynchmeister]

Any fans of fish tacos? I've never had them, but have heard about them and am curious. I've got the day off and no one to cater to but myself for lunch today and decided I wanted to take a shot at making them.

So...what kind of fish? How should it be prepared? What are the traditional condiments? Crispy or soft tortillas?

Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

[alejandro]

Any white fish will do. I prefer mine to be lightly breaded and fried. I also prefer fish with some flavor and texture...snapper, grouper, etc. Talapia is cheap but has zero flavor.

Add shredded cabbage, some onion, cilantro, whatever homemade salsa you come up with, plus any other condiments you like on a taco.

Only on a soft corn taco.

Alex.

[ProphetNoir]

Fish tacos are just about my favorite food that can be eaten with my hands, right up there with wings. The best I have had were at Ruby's Diner on the Huntington Beach Pier, second best goes to the Fisherman restaurant in Seattle.
Never made them for myself, but I wonder about making a red snapper escoviche and then serving it folded in soft taco shells.

[Lynchmeister]

Any white fish will do. I prefer mine to be lightly breaded and fried. I also prefer fish with some flavor and texture...snapper, grouper, etc. Talapia is cheap but has zero flavor.

Add shredded cabbage, some onion, cilantro, whatever homemade salsa you come up with, plus any other condiments you like on a taco.

Only on a soft corn taco.

Alex.

Would a pan fry vs. a deep fry make much of a difference? I'm leaning towards a quick pan fry for the sake of convenience.

Thanks!

[Navig8tor]

Some places serve the fish breaded but I prefer it pan fried. You can also top them with guacamole or a cream based chili sauce.
I have had them made with salmon with a red pepper glaze. They were different for me but good.

[Churchill]

I prefer mine grilled and a soft corn taco and fresh squeezed lime are a must!

[alejandro]

Would a pan fry vs. a deep fry make much of a difference? I'm leaning towards a quick pan fry for the sake of convenience.

Thanks!

It might make a difference on texture of the breading and how much oil is absorbed by the fish (more will be present when pan frying). Pan fried would be fine. I rarely deep fry at home.

I agree with another poster...guacamole would be an excellent addition. Another thing I left out...you'll want to season the fish immediately after frying. Some salt and a dash of lime juice will do nicely.

If you recycle oil, store oil used to fry fish separate from oil used to fry other things. Fish flavored potatoes are not good.

Alex.

[WhosYerBob]

Love 'em anyway I can get 'em. Any kind of fish; grilled, broiled or fried; soft or crispy shell - you name it, I'll eat it.

[danek]

I LOVE fish tacos; but keep 'em simple. Fish I like are warm-water firm fish (Tuna, swordfish/sailfish, shark-my favorite). Heavily seasoned/spiced, pan fried, a little cabbage and a squeeze of lime wrapped in a soft corn tortilla. Mmmmmmmm.

[jackmormon]

Yummmmm.....I know where I am going for lunch! We are very lucky that in the city I live in there is a 2 block area in south downtown that allows street taco carts. There is one on every corner in this area and a few in-between. My favorite makes fish tacos where they lightly deep-fry breaded tilapia and it is served on slightly toasted/warm corn tortillas with a "salsa bar" for DIY fixings. A little slice of Baja in the cold, snowy mountains. Doesn't get any better!

[Lynchmeister]

Ok, so here's the low-down. I got back from shopping about 2 hours ago and just finished my prep work.

Shredded my cabbage, juiced my limes, made my roasted chili corn salsa (sweet corn, red onion, jalapenos, red pasilla peppers, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice), marinated the meat (my wife won't touch fish, so chicken for her), cleaned up my mess, and should be ready to start cooking soon.

I'm excited to say the least.

[professorchaos]

Love 'em anyway I can get 'em. Any kind of fish; grilled, broiled or fried; soft or crispy shell - you name it, I'll eat it.

That is a fair summary of how I feel about fish tacos. Given the choice, I'd prefer them with grilled Mahi or some other white fish. Some limed onions, perhaps a little cilantro and I am good to go.

[Luc]

I always use soft taco, I'm not a fan of the hard shell. I rather eat nachos...

White fish yes but any fish would do.

Nothing beats the BBQ. During summer, if you don't want hot food or cook anything, I would recommend Ceviche...

[strat1117]

I've never made them myself, but there is a fresh taco "stand" near my home that makes them with fried red snapper on soft corn tortilla with cabbage (not lettuce) and a white mayonnaise-based (?) sauce. I believe this is the traditional way, I just add Cholula sauce and they are absolutely deliciious.

EDIT: Sorry, too late.

Let us know how they come out, Corey.

[alejandro]

Shredded my cabbage, juiced my limes, made my roasted chili corn salsa (sweet corn, red onion, jalapenos, red pasilla peppers, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice), marinated the meat (my wife won't touch fish, so chicken for her), cleaned up my mess, and should be ready to start cooking soon.

What kind of fish did you pick up? Kudos on the two pepper approach to the salsa.

Alex.

[john parker]

Sacrilege, I know, but Long John Silver's now has fish tacos! And read that some place in San Antonio does a grilled shrimp taco with cole slaw and lemon dressing.

[Lynchmeister]

What kind of fish did you pick up? Kudos on the two pepper approach to the salsa.

Alex.

The verdict is in. I'm a fan!

Against better judgement, I went with tilapia because I couldn't justify $16.00 a pound for halibut. It was delicious, but next time I think a more robust fish will be in order.

[The Nid Hog]

Fish tacos are about my favorite thing in the world. For a long time, it seemed like they couldn't be found anywhere east of I-5, but it looks like they're catching on everywhere now. I like mine made with grilled or broiled fish, but fried is fine too. Grilled tortillas, finely shredded cabbage, a squeeze of lime juice and some spicy homemade mayonnaise. On the side? An avocado and tomatillo salad!

[alejandro]

The verdict is in. I'm a fan!

Against better judgement, I went with tilapia because I couldn't justify $16.00 a pound for halibut. It was delicious, but next time I think a more robust fish will be in order.

Glad you enjoyed them. I wouldn't have paid the $16 either. Too expensive for fish taco.

Alex.

[ouch]

I'll confess to thinking for years that fish tacos were not real and only a joke.

Today I had the best tacos I ever had at Tres Hermanos Tortilleria Mexicana in sunny Brooklyn, as featured on Anthony Bourdain's No
Reservations.