Baja-style deep-fried mackerel tacos recipe

This taco recipe combines textures and flavours – crisp beer-battered fish, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla with a spicy tomato sauce, a yogurt-mayo dressing and crunchy cabbage. We've included a variation using grilled mackerel.

Ingredients

1. 6 tbsp mayonnaise
2. 4 tbsp full-fat yogurt or soured cream
3. Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
4. 8 flour tortillas
5. 2 large mackerel, filleted and pin-boned (use tweezers to do this)
6. ¼ small white cabbage, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
7. 1 lime, cut into wedges
8. Small bunch of fresh coriander sprigs

For the beer batter

1. 100g plain flour
2. ½ tsp baking powder
3. 200ml Mexican beer

For the tomato and chilli salsa

1. 2 tbsp vegetable oil
2. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
3. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
4. 2-3 red or green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (it’s meant to be quite spicy)
5. 400g ripe vine tomatoes, skinned and chopped

Method

1. 1. To make the beer batter, sift the flour, baking powder and ½ tsp salt into a bowl. Gradually whisk in the beer to make a smooth batter. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, for the salsa, heat the oil and garlic in a shallow pan and, as soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the onion. Fry gently until soft but not browned. Add the chillies, fry for a couple more minutes, then add the tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season and keep warm.
3. 3. Mix the mayo with the yogurt or soured cream and set aside. Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan100°C/gas ½.
4. 4. Heat the oil in a large saucepan to 190°C (when a small piece of bread turns golden within 40 seconds). Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm through in the oven.
5. 5. Season the fillets, then cut each crossways into 2.5cm wide strips. Using tongs, dunk a few pieces in the batter. One at a time, drop 4 pieces into the hot oil, suspending each one in the oil for a few seconds before you let go, so it doesn’t sink immediately and stick to the bottom. Deep-fry for 3 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper. Add 4 more pieces to the oil, then assemble the first taco.
6. 6. Spread some mayo mixture down the centre of a warmed tortilla and scatter over a little cabbage. Place deep-fried fish down the centre, spoon over some salsa, then squeeze over a wedge of lime. Top with coriander, roll up and serve. Repeat for each of the tacos.

Nutritional info

Per serving (based on 6): 704kcals, 36.5g fat (6.3g saturated), 28.5g protein, 62.5g carbs, 6.6g sugar, 1.1g salt

Chef's tip

To make Baja-style spicy grilled mackerel tacos (ready in 20 minutes) preheat the grill to high. Mix 3 tbsp sunflower oil with 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp each of freshly ground cumin seeds and coriander seeds, 1 crushed garlic clove, ½ tsp salt and some black pepper on a shallow roasting tray. Prepare 2 large mackerel as in the recipe above and slash the skin of each fillet lengthways at 1cm intervals. Add to the spice mix and turn to coat. Grill about 10cm away from the heat for 5-6 minutes until cooked through. Break into chunks and, as in the recipe above, divide among 8 warmed tortillas with the cabbage, mayo mixture, salsa, lime juice and fresh coriander sprigs. Roll up and serve.