Baja Fish Tacos

Before You Start

Keep the batter ice cold — sit the bowl in ice water if your kitchen is warm.

Slaw on the bottom acts as insulation and stops the tortilla going soggy.

Fish too thin will overcook before the batter browns. Aim for 2 cm strips.

How to Make Baja Fish Tacos

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1. Whisk the soured cream, mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, and chipotle paste with a pinch of salt. Toss a third of it through the cabbage, onion and coriander and set the rest aside for drizzling.

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2. Pat the fish strips very dry and season them.

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3. Whisk the flour, cornflour, baking powder, paprika, cayenne and salt together, then whisk in the cold lager until just combined — a few lumps are fine and preferable.

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4. Heat the oil to 185°C / 365°F.

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5. Dip the fish strips in the batter, let the excess run off for a second, and lower into the oil. Fry three or four at a time for 3 to 4 minutes until deep gold and crisp.

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6. Drain on a rack and season immediately with salt.

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7. Warm the tortillas on a dry pan for 20 seconds a side.

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8. Build each taco with slaw first, then fish, then a drizzle of chipotle crema and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.

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Why It Works

Carbon dioxide in cold beer expands in hot oil, aerating the batter into a light shell, while the alcohol evaporates faster than water and dries the crust more quickly. Cabbage rather than lettuce is the traditional choice because its rigid cell walls stay crunchy under a hot filling.

After You've Cooked It

Fried fish does not keep. The crema and slaw hold 2 days refrigerated, so prep those ahead and fry to order.

If You're Missing Something

• Lemon is the everyday swap for limes in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

What to Serve Alongside

• A cold Pacifico with lime, or a paloma
• Serve with black beans and grilled corn
• Finish with lime sorbet

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: One Pan Mexican Rice, Pan de Muerto, Mexican Red Rice.

Nutrition per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (how much frying oil the food takes up cannot be known from the recipe). Why some recipes have none.

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