Eating in: Panko Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
Creating makeshift meals and keeping the cobwebs away from my camera during lockdown.
Prep: 30 mins // Cooking: 5 mins // Serves 2, 3 tacos each
Lockdown is in full swing and right now I’m missing our favourite restaurants. There’s so many amazing independent eateries within a 3 mile radius of us - I hate seeing them all closed up whilst I’ve been out on the daily exercise. Though some are popping up on Deliveroo, there’s one place I simply can’t get off the brain - Taco Queen. With the summer creeping in I’ve been craving those fresh and zesty flavours that Taco Queen so consistently provides.
Whenever I’ve gone, I’ve ordered pretty much one of everything off the menu (to share obviously…) so for simplicity I decided to recreate just the star of the show, the Fish Tacos. On their menu they use cornflakes instead of breadcrumbs which is what sets them apart from others I’ve tried. I opted for panko breadcrumbs just because cornflakes were a sell out at the supermarket. I know, we are living in unusual times right now. Toppings are key for the overall flavour here - sweet mango salsa, chilli and garlic sauce, spicy pickled red cabbage (recipe here), zesty lime, and tons of fresh coriander.
Ingredients
approx 500g / 4-5 white fish fillets
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
pack of mini tortilla wraps
spicy pickled red cabbage
(you can use shredded raw if you haven’t made your own)large handful of fresh coriander
1 lime, segmented
vegetable oil if deep frying
Chilli & garlic drizzle:
2 tbsp unsweetened yogurt (we used natural)
juice of half a lime
paprika, garlic, and chilli powder
Mango salsa:
two handfuls of cubed frozen mango
(if fresh the riper/softer the better)1 small red onion
1 regular red chilli
juice of half a lime
Breadcrumb mix:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup all purpose flour
paprika, chilli powder
fine salt & cracked black pepper
Method
You’ll want the mango salsa and yoghurt drizzle ready to serve as soon as the fish is done so let’s start there. Dice the onion and finely chop the red chilli. In a small bowl mix both with the defrosted / fresh cubed mango and lime juice. In a ramekin; mix the yoghurt, lime juice, and a tsp of water to loosen. Gradually add in spices to your taste preference. The hotter the better in my eyes! Set both aside until the end.
Now to start on the main event - the panko fish. Organise three bowls like a conveyer belt with a plate on the end. In the first bowl pop in the flour, in the second beat the eggs, and in the third combine the ingredients for the breadcrumb mix. Cut the fish into chunky pieces, roughly an inch or so long.
If frying, you can now start heating your oil on medium heat. You can use a deep rimmed frying pan, and you’ll need to heat enough oil to cover the fish pieces. If baking, you can now preheat the oven at 200 degrees celsius, and prepare a baking tray with baking paper.
To crumb your fish, roll each piece in the flour bowl and dust of any excess. Then dip it into the beaten egg, roll into the breadcrumb mix ensuring the fish has been fully coated, and place on the plate. Once you have done this with all of the pieces your oil should be ready. Test by dropping in a large breadcrumb. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough.
Using a slotted spoon to carefully drop the crumbed fish into the oil. Fry until golden. This should only take a couple of minutes. Then remove and place onto some kitchen roll to drain the excess oil. If baking, cook for 20 mins or until golden.
Now assemble! I prefer to heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. To the tortilla add the panko fish, mango salsa, yoghurt drizzle, and spicy red cabbage. Finish off with plenty of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime!
