The Great Tortilla/Fish Taco Experiment

My First Tortillas!

It has gotten increasingly difficult to find decent tortillas at the grocery store so I have decided to try my hand at making them at home.  My first attempt several weeks ago was corn tortillas.  That was such a disaster I am still not ready to talk about it.  However, enough time has passed that I am willing to attempt flour tortillas.


Most traditional flour recipes have alot of fat in them so I began searching for a lower fat recipe online.  I couldn't believe how many recipes called for lard.  If I begin cooking with lard, I am sure to give my endocrinologist apoplexy.  Finally, I settled on a recipe I found on About.com.  I was pleased with the results so I thought I'd share it.


Flour Tortillas


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup very hot water


Combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl, whisking to combine.  Add the shortening and begin to work it into flour using a pastry cutter or a fork until the crumbs are the size of peas.  (Since my pastry cutter has somehow gotten legs and I am way too impatient for the fork method, I used my food processor.  Just throw in all the ingredients and pulse until desired consistency.)

Tortilla Press - I got mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond
of all places

Pour in the hot water and stir with a fork to combine. Pour mixture on a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for 3-4 minutes to form a smooth dough. Place back in the bowl, cover with a towel and let rest 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 balls, and roll between your palms to make as smooth as possible. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball of dough into a thin circle about 6-7 inches across. (I used a tortilla press to shape the tortillas and then rolled them to get the desired size/thickess.)

Preheat a dry cast iron, or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the tortilla in the hot pan and cook for one minute, or until small air bubbles appear. Flip over and cook for another minute, and then finish by flipping over one last time for another minute. During the third minute the tortilla will usually puff up, and small browned spots will form on the surface.

I was concerned about what I thought was a lack of flexibility in the tortillas but discovered that 12-15 seconds in the microwave did the trick.  The result is a soft, pillowy tortilla with a chewy texture.  Just what I was looking for!

Now armed with tortillas, the question is what to make to go with them.  I decided to try my hand at fish tacos.  I have had them at restaurants a few times and thought "I can do this."  You can either grill or fry the fish.  Despite the aforementioned apoplectic endocrinologist, I decided to go with fried.  A beer batter made with Mexican beer should do the trick.

Dos Equis Beer Battered Fish Tacos

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 tsps. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Generous pinch kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

1 beaten egg

1 12 oz. Bottle Dos XX beer

Tilapia filets

Flour tortillas

Jalapeno Slaw (Recipe follows)

Salsa Verde (Recipe follows)

Lime-Cilantro Crema (Recipe follows)

Queso Fresco

At least two hours (or even better, the night before) before making tacos, prepare the Jalapeno Slaw.  Just prior to frying fish, prepare the Salsa Verde and Lime-Cilantro Crema. 

Stay thirsty, my friends.

Preheat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees.  Alternatively, heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to 365 degrees. Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl.  Add egg and beer and stir with a whisk until smooth.  Cut tilapia into 1” wide strips.  Dip in batter to thoroughly coat, allowing excess to drip off.  Drop slowly into hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Queso Fresco is a crumbling cheese that tastes
similar to a mild feta cheese

To assemble a taco, heat a tortilla in the microwave for 15 seconds.  Put a generous ¼ cup of Jalapeno Slaw on the tortilla. Lay one or two strips of fish on top of the slaw.  Top the fish with some Salsa Verde and Lime-Cilantro Crema.  Finish with a tablespoon or so of the Queso Fresco. 

Try setting up a taco bar and let everyone assemble their own.  Alternative toppings could be Pico de Gallo, other types of cheese or guacamole.



Ta Dah!



Jalapeno Slaw

1 bag Angel Hair Coleslaw

1 large fresh jalapeno, seeded and minced

5 green onions, sliced

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp. Honey

Generous pinch kosher salt

Black pepper to taste

Combine cabbage, pepper and onions in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

This slaw is delicious on its own.  It would bring a slaw dog to a whole new level!

Salsa Verde

½ lb. tomatillos

Cilantro

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup chopped onion

Kosher Salt

Boil tomatillos in salted water for about 8 to 10 minutes until tender.  Drain off the water and place the tomatillos in a blender or food processor.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before blending.  (I know from experience if you turn on a blender with hot liquid or food in it, you’ve got yourself a blender bomb!)

Salsa Verde

Add a generous handful of cilantro to the blender along with the jalapeno and onion.  Pulse a few times and then blend until smooth.  Taste the salsa and season with the salt to taste.  I like this salsa best at room temperature. It is also delicious on chicken enchiladas or shrimp fajitas.

Lime-Cilantro Crema

1/3 cup Mexican Crema



Look for Crema in the Dairy case



Juice of ½ large lime

1 tbsp. minced cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, whisking until smooth.  If you can’t find Mexican crema, you could use sour cream.

My conclusion on this experiment:  Success!  The tacos tasted so fresh and had wonderful texture coming from the chewy tortilla, the crispy slaw and fish and the creaminess of the queso fresco.  I will definitely make these again.