Baja Style Fish Taco
DANIELLA GUEVARA
Daniella is a Mexican cook with an unexpected background as the one-time director of Puerto Morelos Marine Park in the Yucatan Peninsula, before her 2012 move to Adelaide with husband Kor-jent van Dijk sparked a delicious career-change, one where Daniella’s passions for community, food and Mexico could shine.
Daniella and Kor’s underground dinner series, Mi Mero Mole, enjoyed a cult following with their traditional taqueria, Port
Adelaide’s La Popular Taqueria, opening in 2017. La Popular Taqueria enjoys a reputation as one of Australia’s most acclaimed Mexican restaurants, while Daniella’s recipes and tips have been featured on Adam Liaw’s The Cook Up, Broadsheet (national), The Guardian and SBS online.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
Pico de Gallo
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
½ cup chopped coriander
1 lime, juiced (adjust to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chipotle Mayo
2-3 Chipotle chillies in adobo
sauce (adjust to taste)
1 tsp adobo sauce (from the Chipotle chillies can)
250ml mayonnaise
Fish Taco
500g white firm fish
200g plain flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp Mexican oregano
¼ tsp pepper
1 can of cold beer (355ml)
1 egg
Extra flour to dust fish
Vegetable oil for frying
8 Maize tortillas
¼ red cabbage shredded
½ cucumber finely diced
METHOD
To make the Pico de Gallo, combine tomatoes, onion, coriander and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, chipotle chillies, and adobo sauce. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste, then refrigerate.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, oregano and black pepper. In another medium bowl mix the beer and egg. Gradually pour the beer and egg mix into the dry ingredients while whisking for a smooth batter, thick
enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Heat the oil in a deep cast iron pan to 180°C. One by one, dust fish strips in flour and dip into the batter for full coverage. Fry for a couple
of minutes, turning the fish gently until golden and crispy. Place on to paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Moisten maize tortillas lightly before warming in a hot skillet (this will maintain flexibility), and use a clean tea towel to keep tortillas warm
until serving.
To assemble the taco, build fish and shredded cabbage on your tortilla base, before topping with Chipotle mayo, Pico de Gallo and cucumber.
NOTE
At La Popular Taqueria we use South Australian sustainable fish like tommy ruff or ocean jacket. You can use whatever sustainable fish is local to you.