Fish Tacos

I get into these craving moods every once in awhile.

The last thing I was craving was stuffed cabbage. Still haven't made it cause no one in this house will eat it and I can't see making a whole pan just for me.

The next thing I was craving was fish tacos.

A girl I work with was talking about them. She's originally from California and was telling me that they are quite popular there. I thought it was funny that they weren't here. I mean I live in the Ocean State after all. There is an abundant amount of reasonably priced (sometimes downright cheap) seafood to be had here in Little Rhody. Why aren't fish tacos popular here?

So I set my mind on making them. Now I needed a recipe. A good recipe. If was going to make these for the first time and hopefully get my family to want me to make them again, they had to be good.

That's where Melissa comes in. I tend to call her Sweet Melissa, cause well, she is one of the sweetest people that I have met in the blog-o-sphere. She's one of those people that even though you haven't met in person, you just know that you would hit it off. She's one special lady in more ways then I ever could convey here.

Kind beyond measure, brave and inspiring, that is Melissa. She is also one helluva good cook, so when she suggested that I give her fish taco recipe a try, I was all over it.

I now have to tell you. It's official. My husband and kids just might like fish tacos more then the traditional meat or chicken. It's true. We all LOVED these! Loved them! I double the recipe and I'm so glad I did cause we ate them for dinner and then we ate them again for lunch the next day. So delicious! I added in some caramelized onions, cause you know I'm all about the onions.

Melissa has a great recipe for salsa on her site that she used with these tacos. I'm so not about the salsa or heat, I think you all know that by now. I also know that so many of you are all about the salsa so check it out here!

Like many of you, Melissa likes her food hot and spicy and she was really happy she made the salsa. I was really happy I made these tacos.



Fish Tacos
Twelve 1- to 1 1/2-ounce pieces of halibut or cod (I used cod and doubled the recipe, so glad I did!)
12 corn or flour tortillas
oil for deep frying (I used vegetable oil)

Beer Batter
1 cup flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups beer (I used Melissa's suggestion of Boddington's Pale Ale)
garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and salt, to taste

White Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup yogurt

Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet until oil temperature is about 375°F.

Mix flour with spices. Stir flour mixture into the beer and mix until well blended. Pat fish completely dry, then dip in batter until thoroughly coated. You don't want it too thick, but one nice goopy layer will do. You'll know the right consistency when you get it. Honest.

Place fish in hot oil in a single layer. Do not let pieces touch each other. Cook fish until batter is crispy and golden brown, a few minutes per side. Drain on a rack over paper towels.

For the sauce: Mix the mayo and yogurt together. Pretty easy stuff.

To assemble, heat the tortilla either over a gas flame, like we do, or in a hot skillet. Place a piece fish on each tortilla, drizzle with white sauce and top with salsa, lettuce or cabbage and a squeeze of lime, some caramelized onions, avocado.....whatever you like on your tacos. Fold and eat!