Sea bass tacos with kimchi salsa

Name: Sea bass tacos with kimchi salsa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Korean recipes
Ingredients: Vegetable oil to deep-fry; 120g tempura flour (see Know-how); 110ml soda water, chilled; 200g skinless sea bass fillets, sliced into 2cm x 4cm strips; 8 x 12cm tortillas; Hot sauce to serve; For the salsa; 100g kimchi, drained and finely chopped; 1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; 20g pickled jalapeños, chopped; 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves; For the slaw; 4 tsp yuzu or lemon juice; 2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (see ‘Know how’); 2 tbsp soured cream, plus extra to serve; ½ red onion, finely sliced; ½ cucumber, deseeded and finely sliced; ½ Asian (nashi) pear, peeled and finely sliced

By: Judy Joo

Published: 30 Dec 24
Updated: 26 May 25

Chef Judy Joo gives crispy sea bass tacos a delicious Korean-American spin with a punchy kimchi salsa and creamy nashi-pear slaw.

Judy is a Korean-American chef, restaurateur and TV personality. She’s the author of two bestselling cookery books and an accomplished writer, published in Forbes Travel Guide, National Geographic, The Guardian and more. Follow her on Instagram @judyjoochef.

If you can’t get enough kimchi in your life, try Korean kimchi pancakes next.

Serves 4
Prep time 15 min, plus resting. Cook time 10 min

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Ingredients

Vegetable oil to deep-fry
120g tempura flour (see Know-how)
110ml soda water, chilled
200g skinless sea bass fillets, sliced into 2cm x 4cm strips
8 x 12cm tortillas
Hot sauce to serve

For the salsa

100g kimchi, drained and finely chopped
1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
20g pickled jalapeños, chopped
3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves

For the slaw

4 tsp yuzu or lemon juice
2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (see ‘Know how’)
2 tbsp soured cream, plus extra to serve
½ red onion, finely sliced
½ cucumber, deseeded and finely sliced
½ Asian (nashi) pear, peeled and finely sliced

Method

Make the salsa by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.
Make the slaw by mixing together the yuzu juice, mayo and soured cream. Stir in the onion, cucumber and pear, season with salt and pepper, then set aside in the fridge.
Half-fill a heavy-based saucepan with oil and heat to 180°C. Make the tempura batter just before frying by whisking together the flour and soda water (or use a tempura batter mix) – don’t whisk until smooth, keep it lumpy. Season the sea bass all over with salt. Working in batches, dip the pieces of fish into the batter, then carefully lower them into the oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the batter is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
Heat the tortillas according to the packet instructions. Bring everything to the table so people can load up their tacos as they please.

Recipe from January 2025 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 175kcals
Fat: 9.2g (2.2g saturated)
Protein: 8.6g
Carbohydrates: 14g (5.2g sugars)
Fibre: 1.6g
Salt: 0.9g

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