Hake Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions, Pico de Gallo and Chipotle Cream
These crispy hake tacos are packed with fresh, vibrant flavours and make a brilliant centrepiece for a relaxed lunch or dinner. Lightly battered pieces of hake are fried until crisp and golden, then layered into warm tortillas with tangy lime and coriander cabbage, fresh pico de gallo and a smoky chipotle cream. Finished with sharp, spicy pickled red onions, every bite brings together crunchy, creamy, fresh and zesty flavours.
Serves: 3
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus pickling time
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the pickled onions
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 50ml cider vinegar
• Juice of ½ orange
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 fresh habanero chilli, split
For the crispy hake
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 bottle lager
• 400g hake fillet, lightly salted and cut into finger sized pieces
• Salt
• 3 soft flour tortillas, lightly toasted
For the lime and coriander cabbage
• ¼ white cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• Juice of ½ lime
• Salt
For the pico de gallo
• 1 beef tomato, diced
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1 banana shallot, diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
For the chipotle cream
• 2 dried chipotle chillies, rehydrated and chopped
• 2 tbsp soured cream
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
Method
1. Pickle the onions
Place the sliced red onion in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain well. Add the cider vinegar, orange juice, lime juice and split habanero chilli. Toss together and leave to pickle for a few hours.
2. Prepare the batter
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fat fryer to 180°C. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cumin and bicarbonate of soda. Gradually pour in the lager, whisking until you have a smooth batter.
3. Cook the hake
Lightly dust the hake pieces with flour, then dip each piece into the batter. Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry until crisp, golden and cooked through. Remove and drain on kitchen paper, then keep warm while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
4. Make the lime and coriander cabbage
Place the shredded cabbage in a bowl and season generously with salt. Massage the cabbage with your hands for a few minutes to soften it, then toss through the chopped coriander and lime juice.
5. Make the pico de gallo
Combine the diced tomato, avocado, shallot, lime juice, green chilli and fresh oregano in a bowl. Mix gently and set aside.
6. Make the chipotle cream
Mix together the chopped chipotle chillies, soured cream, mayonnaise, lime zest and lime juice until smooth and well combined.
7. Assemble and serve
Warm the tortillas and fill with the crispy hake, lime and coriander cabbage and pico de gallo. Spoon over the chipotle cream and finish with the pickled red onions. Serve immediately and enjoy.