Fried Fish Tacos with Cabbage, Lime, & Avocado

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
½ white cabbage, thinly sliced
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
6–12 corn tortillas
8-10 oz. (250–300g) gilthead bream, whiting, cod, hake, or gurnard fillet, skinned and cut on the diagonal into slices 10–12cm long and 2.5cm wide
Flaked sea salt

For the salsa:
4 tbsp fresh coriander, stalks and all, finely chopped
½ large ripe Hass avocado, roughly chopped
1 cup vine or cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ small red onion, finely diced
Juice of ½ lime
½ tsp flaked sea salt
¼ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sunflower oil

For the chipotle mayonnaise:
1 tsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic, finely mashed
4 tbsp store-bought mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s
2 tsp chipotle paste

For the batter:
1½ cups (200g) Doves Farm gluten and wheat free self-rising flour
9 oz. (270ml) cold lager

Directions:
1. Combine everything for the salsa in a bowl and put to one side.

2. For the mayonnaise, place the oil in a small frying pan, add the tomato paste and fry briefly, stirring continuously to remove some of the bitter flavor. Add the cumin and garlic, and fry for a little bit longer before placing the mixture into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and chipotle paste to the tomato paste, mix thoroughly, and put to one side.

3. Heat the oil to 350°F/180°C in your deep-fryer or heat up a medium pan with enough oil to shallow fry.

4. Combine the batter ingredients until it forms a thick paste, which resembles the consistency of emulsion paint, and allow to stand for 4–5 minutes.

5. Heat your tortillas in a pan over a medium-high heat, taking care to turn the frequently so that they do not burn. They should go from card-like and stiff to limp and delicious-smelling. Store in a tea towel.

6. Continue warming the tortillas while you fry the fish. In batches of 1 or 2 pieces, dunk the fish in the batter and fry, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little sea salt.

7. When ready, take a tortilla (or stack 2 if desired). Place a small amount of cabbage along the middle, topped with a little bit of the salsa. Lay the fish on top, and finally add a dollop of the chipotle mayonnaise.

8. Gather up each side and eat with your fingers! This goes well with ¼ lime juice to ¾ cold lager, poured into a salt-rimmed glass.

Enjoy!