Baja Fish Tacos with Pickled Jalapeno Slaw - by Freddie Janssen

Ingredients

"Everyone has a favourite taco. Mine is a fish taco. To be more specific, the fish tacos from a super-simple shack down the motorway in LA called Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada. In my opinion, they make the very best fish tacos ever – not to mention their huge buffet of salsas and toppings so you can add your own faves. A Baja fish taco, in short, is fish fried in batter, served in soft corn tortillas and topped with slaw and some sort of creamy white sauce like a mayo. I like spicing up the slaw with pickled jalapenos and their brine, which creates a zingy and spicy slaw. It's deceptively simple, but it works, so why mess around with it?" - Freddie Janssen.

Fish:

200g firm white fish (such as cod), cut into strips
Sea salt
150g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra to dust the fish
1 medium egg
80mL beer (lager)
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
4 Tbs DIY Sriracha
4 Tbs mayonnaise
4 soft corn tortillas
4 wedges of lime, to serve

Pickled Jalapenos:

250mL (1 cup) white wine vinegar
220g (1 cup) granulated (raw) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
10 Jalapenos, sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

Jalapenos Slaw:

5 Tbs pickled jalapeños (above)
2 Tbs of the brine
1/2 head white cabbage
Large bunch of coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
Sea salt, to taste

Method

Pickled Jalapenos:

Heat the vinegar in a pan over a medium to high heat, and add the sugar and salt. Whisk until dissolved.

Put the sliced jalapenos and garlic in a clean jar. Remove the pickling liquid from the heat and carefully pour over the jalapenos and garlic.

Put the lid on and allow to come to room temperature. Put the jar in the fridge. Your pickle will be ready to eat after 2–3 days.

Jalapenos Slaw:

Put the pickled jalapenos in the food processor and give them a quick blitz. Transfer to a bowl.

Finely slice the cabbage using a mandoline or simply use a sharp knife. Put the cabbage in the bowl with the jalapenos.

Stir in the brine and coriander, then leave for 2 hours. Taste for seasoning and add more brine if needed.

Fish:

Put the fish in a bowl and season with salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, egg and beer to make the batter.

Put the extra flour in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Lightly dredge the fish in flour and shake off any excess.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Pickled by Freddie Janssen published by Hardie Grant $29.99 available in stores nationally.

Photo Credits: This is an edited extract from Pickled by Freddie Janssen published by Hardie Grant $29.99 available in stores nationally.