A delightful combination of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds.
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 package small corn or flour tortillas
- for the creme fraiche:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp buttermilk
- for the fish:
- 1 lb fish of choice i often use salmon or halibut as we have these on hand
- 1/2 cup mayonaise
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche made the day before
- 4 tbsp sriracha chile garlic sauce or less to taste
- 2 limes juiced and zested
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- vegetable oil
- garnishes:
- 3 cups shredded red or green cabbage
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- dash cayenne chili powder
- 1 avocado cubed
- pickled jalepenos
- salsa of choice
- green tabsaco sauce
- Carbohydrate 75.6435571944627 g
- Cholesterol 40.8271250344495 mg
- Fat 31.7231293906476 g
- Fiber 12.2925310437679 g
- Protein 11.1236365634579 g
- Saturated Fat 9.51623039700656 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (530g)
- Sodium 662.186531449784 mg
- Sugar 63.3510261506948 g
- Trans Fat 2.53972717294357 g
- Calories 590 calories
Step-by-step
- The day before, make the creme fraiche: Mix together the whipping cream and buttermilk (plain yogurt also works). Let sit out at room temperature for ~18 hours.
- Mix together the mayonaise, creme fraiche, sriracha, lime juice and zest. Cut the fish into chunks or strips depending on your preference, and place into the mayonaise mixture. Let sit for 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Mix together the shredded cabbage, carrot, lime juice, rice vinegar, cumin and cayenne chile powder. Toss well and set aside for flavors to meld.
- To finish the fish, bread the pieces with panko and either pan fry or deep fry. If you mix a little of the marinade into the panko to moisten it a bit, it makes it a little easier to pack the breading around the fish (for extra fryaliciousess). Take care not to overcook the fish-- a quick dip in hot oil is sufficient. Set on paper towels to drain.
- To assemble the tacos, warm tortillas in a small saucepan one at a time, 30 seconds or so just to make them more pliable. Top with your favorite ingredients. Here is how mine usually looks: fish topped with some of the cabbage mixture, then avocado, garnished with a drizzle of the creme fraiche, tomatilo salsa and a dash of green tabasco. Enjoy!
Marinating fish in a mixture of mayonnaise, sriracha, and homemade creme fraiche for thirty minutes seasons the interior while creating a sticky surface for the panko breadcrumbs to adhere to. Deep frying or pan-frying delicate proteins requires strict temperature control and vigilance, because a quick dip in hot oil prevents the interior from drying out while turning the exterior golden brown. Overcooking transforms flaky fish into a dry, rubbery texture within seconds, making visual cues like floating and bubbling crucial indicators of doneness.
Substitutions allow flexibility depending on dietary needs or pantry stock without compromising structural integrity. Standard heavy cream requires only a tablespoon of buttermilk to culture at room temperature for roughly eighteen hours, yielding a thick dairy base, though plain yogurt functions identically if cultured dairy is unavailable. Corn or flour tortillas benefit from thirty seconds in a hot pan to regain flexibility before assembly, preventing cracks that spill fillings.
Fresh produce selection shifts with seasonal availability while maintaining the acid-to-fat balance necessary for heavy fried proteins. Shredded cabbage and carrots tossed with lime juice and rice vinegar break down slightly over thirty minutes, softening the raw crunch while absorbing spices like cumin and cayenne. Avocado and pickled jalapenos supply contrasting textures and thermal temperatures against the warm, crisp fish.
