Tacos de Pescado Estilo Ensenada

Ingredients

• 700 g firm white fish fillet such as cod, halibut or shark, cut into 2 cm strips
• 150 g plain flour
• 30 g cornflour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 240 ml very cold lager
• 1 litre neutral oil, for frying
• 12 corn tortillas
• 300 g white cabbage, shredded very finely
• 120 g mayonnaise
• 120 g Mexican crema or soured cream
• 2 limes, juiced, plus 2 more cut into wedges
• 6 chiles de arbol, stemmed
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 white onion, half finely diced and half left whole

Before you cook

• Cut the fish into finger-width strips and pat them completely dry.
• Shred the cabbage as finely as you can and keep it cold.
• Whisk the mayonnaise, crema and the juice of one lime together with a pinch of salt to make the white sauce.
• Whisk the flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder together in a bowl.
• Dice half the onion for the tacos and cut the limes into wedges.

Steps

1. Toast the chiles de arbol in a dry pan for 30 seconds, until they darken a shade.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic and the whole onion half to the same pan and char them for 8 minutes, turning, until blackened in patches.
3. Blend the charred vegetables and chillies with the juice of the second lime and a good pinch of salt until smooth, then pour the salsa into a bowl.
4. Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan to 185C.
5. Pour the cold beer into the dry batter ingredients and whisk just until the lumps disappear, keeping the batter loose enough to run off a spoon.
6. Dip four strips of fish into the batter and let the excess drip back into the bowl.
7. Lower the strips into the hot oil one at a time and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep gold and crisp.
8. Lift the fish onto a wire rack and season it immediately with salt.
9. Fry the remaining fish in batches, letting the oil come back to temperature between each one.
10. Warm the corn tortillas on a dry comal for 20 seconds a side.
11. Lay a piece of fish in each tortilla.
12. Top the fish with shredded cabbage and diced onion.
13. Zigzag the white sauce over the top and add a spoonful of arbol salsa.
14. Serve at once with lime wedges.