Baja fish tacos are a thing of beauty. The dish originated in Mexico’s coastal region of Baja California in the 1950s; a stroke of genius from local street food vendors who, by cradling crisp beer-battered fish in soft, warm tortillas — along with crunchy cabbage and a creamy sauce — created a symphony of temperature, texture and flavour.
“Every element brings something different to the bite,” says Paola Arenas, head chef at Decimo, the glam Mexican restaurant at London’s Standard hotel. “It just hits all the right spots.”
Paola brings extra brightness and zing to the proceedings with a garlic and ginger marinade for the cod, which is now in season, and the addition of mango to the trad cabbage salad. Wolfing one down at Decimo, I declared it one of the best fish tacos I’ve had (reader, I’ve had many) and am happy to report that they can be successfully — and easily — recreated at home.
Much of a taco feast can be prepared in advance, so I’ll next be whipping these up, alongside other go-to fillings, sauces and toppings for a fun and hands-on group dinner.
Drink
A Mexican lager such as Modelo or Pacifico.
Substitutions
Instead of cod you could use another firm-fleshed white fish, such as hake, gurnard or pollock.
Tip
For some smoky flavour, swirl a teaspoon of chipotle paste through the mayonnaise.
Decimo’s Baja fish tacos
Makes eight tacos
| Quantity | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| 125g | all-purpose flour |
| 240g (or ml) | cold beer |
| 10g | baking powder |
| A pinch of dried oregano | |
| Salt, to season |
| Quantity | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| 100g | piece of ginger, peeled |
| 3 cloves | garlic, peeled |
| 2 tbs | extra virgin olive oil |
| 400g | fillet of Newlyn cod |
| Salt and black pepper for seasoning | |
| 250g | all-purpose flour |
| 400-500ml | neutral oil for frying |
| Quantity | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| ¼ | white cabbage, thinly sliced |
| ¼ | red onion, thinly sliced |
| 2 | green chillies, finely chopped |
| 3 tbs | chopped coriander |
| ½ | large mango, diced |
| Juice of 1 lime | |
| 1 tbs | extra virgin olive oil |
| 40g | mayonnaise or aioli |
| 8 | corn or wheat tortillas |
Mix all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl until well combined. Pass the mixture through a strainer to ensure there are no lumps. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Using a microplane or a fine grater, grate the ginger and garlic into a bowl, then mix with two tablespoons olive oil to form a paste.
Cut the fish into eight finger-sized pieces (approximately 50g each). Add the fish to the bowl with the garlic and ginger paste, and mix until the pieces are evenly coated, then season with salt and black pepper. Marinate for 30 minutes before cooking.
In a bowl, combine the cabbage, red onion, chilli, coriander, mango, lime juice and one tablespoon olive oil.
Heat the oil for frying in a small or medium pot to a medium heat (170C). Heat a dry pan over medium heat and warm the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side or until soft (or alternatively wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven).
Remove the batter from the fridge and place the 250g of flour on a plate. Pass each piece of fish through the flour and remove any excess, then dip the fish in the batter and fry until crisp and golden, for about two minutes. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen roll.
To serve, spread a heaping teaspoon of mayonnaise on each tortilla, add the fried fish, and top with the mango and cabbage salad.
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