I first discovered a version of these fantastic Baja style street tacos at a little food truck in Portland, before food trucks were all the rage. I’ve been enamored ever since. An addictive contrast of crunchy egg battered fish, juicy jicama slaw, avocado cream & tarter sauce. It hits all the right receptors.

serves 4- two tacos each

Tarter Sauce.

1/2 cup avocado mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. finely minced shallots
2 Tbsp. capers, minced
2 Tbsp. pickle, finely minced (I use bread & butter but you can use dill is preferred)
1 Tbsp. finely minced cilantro
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. salt

Spicy Slaw with Jicama.

5 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup purple onion, finely minced
1/2 of a Jicama, cut julienne (matchsticks)
1 purple carrot, 1 orange carrot, cut julienne
1 small jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed, finely minced
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1 tsp. oregano, finely minced
1/3 cup avocado mayonnaise
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp. celery seed (this is essential)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar of choice (white, Monk fruit, honey, Sugar in the Raw)

Avocado Cream.

2 large avocados
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp. salt.
1/4 cup sour cream

Tacos.

2 lb. mild white fish, such as cod or halibut
1/2-3/4 cup corn starch
3 eggs, beaten
1 package of corn tortillas of choice
canola oil (or other mild oil with a fairly high smoke point)

Accompaniments.

1 cup Cotija, crumbled
2 large jalapeno, *sliced paper thin
2 large limes, wedged
1 cup cilantro, chopped
favorite hot sauce of choice, I like Tapatio

1.) Begin by preparing the tarter sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise & lemon juice until smooth with no lumps. Stir in remaining ingredients, cover with plastic wrap & chill to allow flavors to meld.

2.) Next make your spicy slaw. In a large bowl, combine cabbage through cilantro, toss gently to evenly distribute. Make your dressing by whisking together mayonnaise with lemon juice until smooth then stir in remaining ingredients, pour over slaw. Toss to incorporate, cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate.

3.) Prepare your avocado cream. In a small bowl, mash avocados with lemon juice & salt. You can do this with the back of a fork or with your fingers. I prefer to use my fingers because I can feel the lumps & work them out a bit better. Once avocados are creamy & smooth, stir in sour cream until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate.

4.) Preheat oven to warm. Prepare a plate with several paper towels for draining. Heat 1” of canola oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat until it shimmers but not smoking (350f). Cut your fish into equal size sticks. Lightly salt, dredge in corn starch then dip in beaten egg. Fry battered fish sticks, a few at a time, being careful not to over crowd the pan. Fry until golden, flip fish sticks over & brown on the other side until golden & cooked through. Drain on plate with paper towels & place in a warm oven while you fry another batch.

5.) In a medium sauce pan or cast iron skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. canola oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Damper a kitchen towel, set aside to keep browned tortillas from drying out. Fry tortillas until golden on each side but still soft & pliable. Place cooked tortillas in the damp towel. Once they are all pan fried place the tortillas in the warm oven with the fish.

6.) Remove the tarter sauce, slaw & avocado cream from the fridge. Arrange with the taco accompaniments on a serving platter so that each guest can build a taco to their liking.

*Alternately, you may wish to rub the jalapenos with a bit of oil & roast them whole over open flame if you have a gas burner or pan fry until charred & tender.

Chef Notes: To make this a complete meal, serve extra slaw on the side & black beans.

Baja Fish Street Tacos | Date Night

serves 4- two tacos each