I can never speak of tacos without thinking of my good friend Rusty Fenton. He was a very important part of my life, in fact, he helped me create the Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. However, this isn’t a story about that – it’s about Tacos. Rusty spent most of his life in pursuit of the perfect street taco and had a dream to open a Taco Stand one day. He was a restaurant consultant who consulted with places like TGI Fridays, Café Lulu, and Trader Vic’s to name a few, but his true food love was street tacos. In fact, he believed “Tacos are the most important meal of the day!”
One year, he and his wife Denise came along with us on our family trip to Acapulco, and he ate his fill of authentic Mexican street tacos. He came home from that trip and begin to make his Taco Stand dream a reality, and began making plans to open Rusty Taco in Dallas – if you go, you must try it. It is now part of a larger restaurant company and Rusty is no longer with us, but his wife Denise is there to make sure that Rusty’s dream, and his all-important message about tacos, is carried out every day.
In the spirit of Rusty, and because I know that a lot of you love to fish, and even more of you love to eat fish, this week’s recipe is for Fish Tacos. Whether it’s Catfish or some beautiful Gulf Red Snapper that you have caught, or some nice filet of cod that you have bought at the store, this recipe will work – and it will give you a new twist on how to make the batter for the breading. So, get cooking, and make these tacos the most important meal of your day!
Spicy Mustard Fish Tacos
Ingredients: For Fish
● 1 pound skinless cod (or your choice of fish), cut into 1-inch wide 4-inch long strips
● 1⁄4 tsp salt, 1⁄4 tsp black pepper, 1⁄2 tsp cayenne, 1⁄2 tsp chili powder, 1⁄4 tsp cumin, 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
● 1⁄3 cup Fischer & Wieser Sweet, Sour, & Smokey Mustard Sauce
● 1 cup all purpose flour
● 2 eggs, whisked
● Neutral Oil, for frying (avocado/canola/vegetable)
● 1 cup shredded red cabbage (sub tricolor slaw)
● 1⁄4 cup shredded/crumbled cotija cheese
● Corn tortillas
For Sauce
● 1⁄3 cup Fischer & Wieser Sweet, Sour, & Smokey Mustard Sauce
● 3 tbsp greek yogurt
● 1⁄2 lime, juiced
● 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1⁄4 tsp cumin, 1⁄4 tsp chili powder, 1⁄4 tsp paprika, 1⁄4 tsp salt, 1⁄4 tsp pepper
Directions: For Fish
1. Whisk egg & smokey mustard sauce together in a small bowl.
2. In a bowl, toss flour and seasonings together. Spread out on a flat plate.
3. Dredge each piece of cod into the egg wash and coat in flour. Set aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour oil until it is about 1⁄2 inch up the side. When the oil is hot enough, the thermometer should read 350 degrees
5. Lay fish onto the skillet and fry 3-4 minutes per side or until it’s a crispy golden brown.
6. Remove and set aside over a paper towel-covered dish.
Assembly
- Char tortillas over high heat on a medium pan for 30-45 seconds per side.
- Lay out tortillas. Layer cod, red cabbage, cotija cheese, and cilantro. Repeat again on different tortillas, until the cod is finished.
- Add ingredients for sauce in a small bowl, mix until combined. Drizzle over tacos. Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite side dish!
By Case D. Fischer
