Asian-inspired tacos full of crunch, spice and color!
Hi friends! How y’all doing?? It seems like a silly question to ask these days but I do really want to know! At times, sharing in this space can feel frivolous and inappropriate. Between the pandemic, social injustice and the crazy fires we’ve had on the West coast tacos seem pretty low on the priority list. But I’m also trying to remember that there is still life in the every day, still virtual hugs to be given in our communities, still love to be shared over a good meal and still dreams of better days ahead. So I hope that these little contributions bring light and natural dopamine (because yum!) to some of you out there.
I made these tacos a few weeks ago and my fam loved them. I didn’t quite have the gusto to properly write the recipe down then, but it’s amazing how much energy a few days of sunshine and fresh air give you!
Ok so a little more about the inspiration for these tacos. I was never a big fan of fish sticks growing up. I could get through them by drenching them in ketchup (which is how my Dad likes them). But I’ve always preferred a whole fried fish with rice (and tomato/onions on the side) over a fish stick any day. Big kudos to my mom for teaching me to love fish that way.
I did realize though that the only time I’ve had fish sticks was pre-made out of a box in the freezer section. So I thought I should take a stab at making them from scratch. After all, I do like fish & chips. While I was at it, I thought if I’m making fish sticks, I should just make fish tacos because you know..then I get all the toppings.
Whenever I make something that reminds me of my Dad (a man from Texas who loves anything with ketchup and the traditional ‘American’ staples…meatloaf, fish sticks, etc.), I love to put an asian twist on it to represent my filipino side. Asian ingredients come very naturally to me. And while there is an incredible amount if variety in asian cooking, there are a few flavors that bring me so much joy: ginger, garlic, soy, sesame, rice vinegar, scallions. I find myself using them often. To align with the asian flavor profile, I used panko bread crumbs, which I’m much more partial to than the Italian bread crumbs.
When you make fish tacos, you gotta have slaw. I just love that crunch and tang with the butteriness of the fish. In the slaw, I incorporated a simple dressing with all my favorite flavors. I wanted to add some heat too, but I also know to keep my fam’s options open. My son loves spicy food, but my daughter is not quite there yet. So instead of adding heat to the slaw, I put together a quick sriracha mayo which also provided a creamy layer. Mmmmm.
So now you’ve been in my brain and how I develop a recipe, lol. But seriously these tacos are sooo good. They’re full of spice, crunch and color and are a wonderful new addition to our dinner rotation.
I know right now we’re all trying to manage through something whether that’s smoke and haze, wondering how we ended up in this chaos or just general anxiety. My heart goes out to you all. Please hang in there friends and thank you as always for reading.
Valerie
- Small tortillas (soft-taco or taco slider size)
- For the fish: 1 lb. Cod or other mild white fish (cut into 2 inch pieces), 3 eggs, ½ cup flour, 2 cups panko Bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
- For the Sesame-Ginger Slaw: 2 cups of cabbage (green red or combo of the two), 2 carrots (shredded) 1 scallion, chopped
- For the dressing: ¼ cup of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- Sriracha Mayo: 1 tablespoon Sriracha, ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Optional toppings: Cilantro, Sesame seeds, more scallions
- For the fish prep: Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place parchment paper on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Put together dredging station by: placing the flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, & ½ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs and place in another medium bowl. Place the panko bread crumbs & 1 teaspoon salt & 1 teaspoon pepper in a third medium bowl and mix well to combine.
- Dredge one piece of cod into the flour mixture and shake off excess. Then dip into the egg mixture. Finally, place the cod into the panko mixture, pressing down and coating all side. Place on the sheet plan and repeat with each piece of cod. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on the outside and flaky on the inside.
- While the cod is baking, combine the cabbage (green & red), shredded carrots and scallion in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients: rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and garlic.
- In another small bowl, mix together the sriracha and mayonnaise.
- When the cod is done baking, remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
- I like to warm tortillas before assembling the tacos. You can warm in the oven, on a pan or over an open flame. To assemble the fish tacos, add one or two pieces of fish to a tortilla. Top with slaw and drizzle with the sriracha mayo.
- Top with optional garnishes (cilantro, sesame seeds, more scallops). Enjoy!!
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