Baja style Fish Tacos

2 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon concentrated chicken base or chicken-flavor powdered bouillon

1cup beer, sparkling water or water

1teaspoon baking powder

1cup all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil about 1 1/2 inches deep for frying

1pound boneless, skinless fish filets (practically anything will work, but I like larger-flake, lighter-flavor fish best for this preparation tilapia is the least expensive but halibut, sea bass, grouper would be awesome

1/3cup mayonnaise

1/3cup sour cream or heavy (whipping) cream

1/4cup milk

12 warm corn tortillas

1cup (or more) thinly sliced cabbage (I like Napa cabbage best)

About 1 cup salsa (toasted arbol chile salsa, roasted green chile salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa or even one of the Mexican hot sauces like Tapatio or Valentina)

2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

Finely chop the garlic, sprinkle generously with salt, then mash back and forth with the side of your knife across your cutting board until crushed to a puree or grate using a microplane you want the results to be very fine. Scrape into a medium bowl and add the oregano, black pepper, mustard, base or bouillon, beer or water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet to 370 degrees. While the oil is heating, cut the fish into pieces about 3 inches long by 1/2 inch square. Use a pair of tongs to pick up a piece of fish, dip it completely into the batter, and lay it into the oil. Continue with a few more pieces of fish, filling the hot oil with an uncrowded layer. Fry, turning the pieces regularly, until deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven on a wire rack set over a sheet pan while you fry the rest of the fish.

Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream and milk. Set out with the cabbage, salsa, warm corn tortillas, limes and the crispy fish for everyone to make tacos6

Salsa Verde Tomatillo salsa

Salsa Verde Is one of my favorite sauces! It's super versatile and with the same ingredients  you can cook it a few ways one is to simmer the other to oven roast.  This is one of my everyday salsas. The tomatillo is a relative of the goose berry and can range in size from the small Milepero, walnut-size fruit to globe tomato sized both in a papery husk. The tomatillo makes a traditional sauce with an especially fresh, tart citrus taste. Mexican salsa verde is a table staple for me and I will put it on the table for diners to add as they like but I love to use it  for Chicken or Shrimp Enchiladas, or chilequiles.
This will make 2 to 3 cups
1 pound tomatillos, husked and washed
3 Fresh Serrano, start with 1 and add more to taste (or 2 jalapeños)
5 or 6 sprigs fresh cilantro chopped remove only the very end of the stems that are fibrous
1 small onion chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon lard or canola oil
2 cups water you can use chicken stock too
1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt you can add more to taste

Cooking the tomatillo 2 methods:
Boil:
Add the tomatillos and the chiles in to a pan with the salt and water or stock to cover until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Reserve water or stock for later use.

Roast: @425 degrees
Place tomatillo, chiles on a sheet tray lines with foil or parchment rub with a little lard or Canola oil  cook until blistered and light brown.

The puree:
Place the tomatillos and chiles in a blender with the cilantro, onion and garlic give sauce good stir. Process until smooth

The sauce: In a medium fry pan or skillet heat the lard or Canola oil set over medium-high until fat shimmer pour sauce in all at once and stir constantly for 4 or 5 minutes, until sauce darkens and gets thicker then add the water or broth, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes or until thick enough to coat a spoon, Season with additional salt.

White Salsa for fish tacos or seafood enchiladas

Have you ever wondered what  your fish tacos were missing or maybe you wanted a little extra creamy deliciousness for some shrimp enchiladas. Well here's a  simple white salsa that is great with fish! What makes this sauce amazing is you build it in a blender.

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1-3 jalepeno start with one and add to the heat level you enjoy
Pinch of dried oregano 
Pinch of ground cumin
1/4 of a white onion or a Pinch of onion powder

1 clove of garlic or a Pinch of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste 

Place all of your ingredients in to the cup of your blender and blend until completely smooth I like to put mine in a squeeze bottle to serve it makes it super easy! 

Next I'll write up some of my favorite enchilada sauce recipes

 xoxo Jacq

x