The Ultimate Fish Tacos
This recipe crafts ultimate fish tacos featuring crispy, deep-fried mahi-mahi. It includes a vibrant pink chile mayonnaise for a creamy, spicy kick, and a refreshing mango-radish salsa. Served family-style with fresh cabbage, cilantro, chives, and warm tortillas, it's a delightful and customizable meal perfect for sharing.
Equipment
- 1 Deep fryer or large heavy-bottomed pot
- 1 Blender or Food Processor
- 3 Shallow Dishes for breading station
- 1 Chef's Knife and Cutting Board
- 1 Spider Skimmer or Tongs
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pounds mahi mahi skinned, boned and cleaned cut into 1-ounce strips
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 head savoy cabbage finely shredded
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves picked
- 1 bunch chives chopped
- 3 limes cut into wedges for garnish
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 chipotles in adobo plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 limes
- 2 mangoes diced
- 4 to 5 red radishes diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the fish. Cut the pieces of fish into 1-ounce strips. Set up a breading station of flour, lightly beaten eggs with water, and seasoned panko bread crumbs. Season all with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces of fish in flour, egg then bread crumbs. Once all the fish is breaded deep-fry in small batches in (375 degrees F) oil. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Prepare the pink chile mayonnaise. Put the chipotles in a blender and puree until smooth. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, adobo sauce and lemon juice and continue to process until the mixture is consistent and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the mango-radish salsa. Remove the peel and pith from the limes and cut between the membranes to remove the segments. Put these "supremes" into a bowl and squeeze over the juice from the membranes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Season and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree for a smoother salsa.
- To serve, set up the tacos "family-style". Assemble the fish in a pile on a plate; the pink chile mayonnaise in a bowl; and mango-radish salsa in another. Set a pile of shredded savoy cabbage, cilantro leaves, chopped chives and lime wedges next to the fish. Toast the corn tortillas lightly over an open flame (on your stove top) and serve.
Notes
For perfectly crispy fish, maintain the oil temperature at a consistent 375°F (190°C) and fry in small batches to avoid overcrowding, which drops the oil temperature and leads to greasy fish. A spider skimmer is excellent for safe removal. For an extra pop of flavor in the salsa, ensure your mangoes are ripe but firm; the contrast with the crisp radish and tart lime supremes is key. When making the chipotle mayo, adjust the amount of chipotles to your desired spice level. Toasting tortillas directly over a gas flame adds a delightful smoky char, but a dry skillet works well too for an even warm-up. Serve immediately once assembled to enjoy the various textures.