Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Corn Slaw

Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Corn Slaw recipe

As a household, we don’t eat nearly enough fish, and I’ll tell you for why. a) it’s bloody expensive and b) it’s bloody expensive. To feed the monstrously-hungry-at-all-times men in my house costs a fortune, so subsequently, fish is reserved for special occasions only. However, I’ve discovered Basa fillets thanks to the lovely Ocado, and now we’ll be eating these Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Corn Slaw til the cows come home.

Basa, according to what I’ve skim read, is a thoughtful, more sustainable choice to cod. It has a lovely firm texture and is not terribly fishy, which I know, randomly, sometimes puts people off fish. For my tacos, the fish is baked with some brilliant spices including paprika, cumin and chilli flakes, no heavy deep frying needed here. The coleslaw is spring cabbage, because it is nearly spring, sweetcorn, coriander, jalapeno with a lime, mayo, yoghurty dressing; it’s fresh, crunchy and just the perfect partner to the spicy fish. The rest is up to you; assemble your tacos with soft corn tortillas then add avocado, sliced red onion, tomatoes, cheese, any number of sauces, you decide.

A fish taco makes a lovely change to the usual mid week dullness and they won’t have you stuck in the kitchen for hours prepping; you’ll just be spending plenty of time eating them.

I mean this line up for the fish doesn’t get much easier; I even simplified the herb and spice photo so you didn’t get put off by a lengthy row of jars. And don’t panic, there’s no mystery items, I had all of them to hand.

Likewise, this is a pretty coleslawy line up, give or take a couple of extras. I love a spring cabbage, so crisp and green and the touch of lime in the dressing makes all the difference.

Start with the aforementioned slaw, as it can happily sit in the fridge for a while. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can bear and add to a big bowl with the chopped jalapeno chilli, sweetcorn and chopped coriander.

Now make the dressing by taking a small bowl and measuring in the mayo and yoghurt, then stir in the lime zest and juice, garlic powder, maple syrup and salt and pepper, to taste *eating a big spoonful*.

Mix the dressing with the vegetables until everything’s well coated. Cover and keep in the fridge until later.

Now for the fish; pre heat your oven to 180℃ fan assisted and line a large baking sheet, drizzle or spray with oil. Cut your fish into even sized pieces, slightly larger than bite sized and then place onto the oiled tray.

Give your fish another little drizzle or spray with oil. Mix the herbs and spices until well combined then sprinkle reasonably evenly over each piece of fish.

Pop these into your pre heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through and flaking beautifully.

The rest is up to you. I warmed my corn tortillas then generously spooned on the jalapeno corn coleslaw and some sliced avocado.

Top with two or three pieces of spiced fish * depending on how many hungry mouths your feeding*. Then fold and attempt to make them look photogenic with more fresh coriander and lime wedges, before devouring in greedy haste.

These fish tacos make a different, and as proclaimed by my family, bloody delicious change to the midweek selection of normally not such fun meals. And they won’t break the bank, which let’s face it, at the end of February, is already pretty broken.

Lucy x

Fish Tacos with Jalapeno Corn Slaw recipe

Serves 4, generously, even for my family

You will just need a lined baking tray and bowls for this

Jalapeno Slaw

1 small spring cabbage, shredded

1 jalapeno chilli, finely chopped

200g corn, frozen or tinned

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons yoghurt, mine was Greek

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Zest of a lime, juice of half of it

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fish Tacos

750g white fish, mine was Basa fillets

Olive oil, a drizzle or a spray

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch chilli flakes

1/4 teaspoon onion granules

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Plenty of fresh coriander and lime wedges, to garnish

Soft corn tortillas to serve, with avocado, grated or crumbled cheese, tomatoes, sliced red onion, you choose

For the coleslaw, shred the cabbage and add to the corn (defrosted and drained, if frozen) with the coriander and chopped jalapeno chilli. For the dressing mix the mayo, yoghurt, maple syrup, lime zest and juice, garlic powder and salt and pepper and give it a little whisk. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir well to dress. Put in the fridge until needed.

For the fish, pre heat the oven to 180 ℃ fan assisted and line a large baking sheet with foil, drizzle or spray with olive oil. Combine the cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, chilli flakes, onion granules, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to mix. Cut your chosen fish into similar sized strips, so they cook evenly, then place onto the foil lined tray. Spray or drizzle the fish with olive oil then sprinkle each piece with the spice mix, evenly. Place into the hot oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through and flaking.

To assemble your tacos, place a spoonful of the jalapeno slaw onto your warmed corn tortilla, add avocado, cheese, tomatoes, etc, top with 2 to 3 pieces of spiced fish. Garnish with extra coriander, repeat, then devour. This is enough for at least 8 tacos, with extra slaw.