Celebration Fish Tacos

How many of our readers know the reason that Cinco de Mayo is a special day?

(And it's not what you may be thinking.)

Contrary to popular belief, it is not Mexico's Independence Day (which actually falls on September 16).  Instead, Cinco de Mayo venerates the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when the Mexican Army successfully defeated French forces.

Whatever the historical reason, the real reason we celebrate this special day is that Mexican food is sooooo good...and it gives us an excuse to make a mean Margarita.

This Saturday, Keri and I are hosting a Cinco de Mayo dinner party for eight.  We're planning a sumptuous multi-course fiesta with a lime dominated menu comprising:

• spicy grilled shrimp with a squeeze of lime
• home made guacamole and tortilla chips
• fish tacos
• lime 'slaw
• lime pie

Think there's a theme emerging here...

A friend and neighbor offered up her go-to kid friendly fish taco recipe a while ago.  It tasted phenomenal, so we thought to run it again here.

Fish Tacos
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
4 tilapia fillets, or other firm white fish
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
Canola oil for frying
1 package small flour or blue corn tortillas
Salsa (see recipe) - I just use diced tomatoes but don't skip the taco sauce!! It's good!
Fish Taco Sauce (see recipe)


Combine cabbage and onion; set aside.

Cut fish into 1 inch strips, 4 to 5 inches long.  Mix bread crumbs and chili powder in a shallow dish.  Place beaten egg in a separate dish.  Dip fish strips in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs.  Heat canola oil in a large skillet.  Fry fish in hot oil for 3 minutes on each side until crispy brown; drain.

Warm tortillas in damp paper towel in a microwave for 1 minute. To assemble, place fish on a tortilla. Top with cabbage mixture and sauce and salsa. Serves 4


Salsa
1 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine and serve.

Fish Taco Sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lime

Combine all ingredients.   Serve fish taco sauce at room temp.  

Preferring something slightly spicier for the adults, we are planning to test out a hotter version of the taco sauce.  Not for the faint-hearted, it's going to be amped up with a dash of Beck's hot sauce.

Devilishly Gooooood.